ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — A resolute half-century from West Indies Test opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul was the main attraction when the second Headley-Weekes Tri-Series match between Team Weekes and West Indies Academy ended in a draw on Saturday in Antigua.

Between showers that prompted a near two-hour long delay, Chanderpaul gathered 53, and Team Weekes reached 107 for three in their second innings when the decision was taken to end the match on the final day of the four-day, first-class contest at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Chanderpaul propped up his side’s batting with a knock that included six fours from 117 balls in two hours and 40 minutes at the crease, after Team Weekes had dismissed the Academy earlier for 435 to concede a first innings lead of 34.

The son of former Guyana captain and West Indies left-handed batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul shared 70 for the first wicket with Barbados Pride opener Zachary McCaskie either side of the long rain delay before three wickets — two to Pride left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop — brought the match to a dramatic close.

McCaskie made 31 before left-arm pace bowling Pride teammate Ramon Simmonds bowled him, and Leeward Hurricanes batsman Keacy Carty got 21 before Bishop scalped him and Chanderpaul to end with two for two from four overs.

The Academy gained 11 points from the match, keeping them on top of the standings with 29 and making them a shoo-in for the tournament trophy, having completed both of their matches.

Team Weekes gets off the mark in the standings with nine, placing them in second, four ahead of Team Headley, against whom they play the final match in the tournament, starting on Wednesday at the same venue.

Earlier, the Academy lost their last six wickets for 35 in the span of 77 balls after they resumed from their overnight total of 378 for four.

Long-serving Guyana Harpy Eagles left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul was the chief wrecker and ended with three for 106 from 40.5 overs, and Pride pacer Jair McAllister snared two scalps to finish with four for 84 from 20 overs, making him the most successful Team Weekes bowler.

Academy opener Neil McKenzie added only 12 to his overnight score before he fell to Harpy Eagles pacer Niall Smith for 221 in the 10th over of the day.

The Jamaica Scorpions left-hander batted for 502 minutes, faced 386 balls, and struck 26 fours and one six, and he shared 259 with overnight partner Kevin Wickham for the fifth wicket that set the foundation for the Academy’s strong reply.