Wickham, Bishop ensure series win for CWI Academy
COOLIDGE, Antigua (CMC) — Kevin Wickham’s unbeaten hundred and Joshua Bishop’s four-wicket haul combined to inflict Emerging Ireland with a heavy, 432-run defeat inside three days here Monday.
Well placed on 176 for four in their second innings overnight, Cricket West Indies Academy piled up 321 for eight declared, with Wickham carving out a superb, unbeaten 105 off 108 deliveries — his second first class hundred.
Set a mammoth 579 runs for victory, the visitors collapsed in a heap for 143 all out, Bishop claiming four for 36 with his left-arm spin to finish with match figures of eight for 54.
Liam McCarthy struck a top score of 35 not out from 32 balls with half-dozen fours at number nine while opener Stephen Doheny got 23 — but they were the only two to pass 20.
The victory gave CWI Academy a clean sweep of the two-match first class series played at Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Resuming the day on 17, Wickham dominated the Emerging Ireland bowling, striking half-dozen fours and five sixes.
He reached his 50 off 74 deliveries with a sweetly timed six over long-on off left-arm spinner Mike Frost (2-136), before bringing up three figures off 105 deliveries with a streaky boundary to a fine third man off seamer Tom Mayes (5-75), who picked up another five-wicket haul to end with match figures of 10 for 139.
Along the way, Wickham put on 78 for the sixth wicket with Captain Nyeem Young (32) and a further 50 for the eighth wicket with McKenny Clarke (22).
Beginning their second innings after lunch, Emerging Ireland found themselves immediately in strife when James McCollum perished to the third ball for two, nicking a defensive prod at Clarke behind after being dropped the previous delivery.
Clarke, who finished with two for 16, also knocked over Cade Carmichael for 14 at 22 for two, the right-hander slapping a long hop to cover.
When Tim Hector drove at seamer Kelvin Pittman and edged high to second slip without scoring, Emerging Ireland were tottering on 36 for three and never recovered.
With his side teetering on the brink on 108 for nine, McCarthy ensured the tail wagged in a 35-run, last-wicket stand with Matthew Foster (2) before fast bowler Isai Thorne put the latter out of his misery.
