TT Red Force are staring defeat heading into the final day of their West Indies Four-Day Championship match against Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
Red Force closed day three on 143/6 in pursuit of an improbable 459 runs for victory at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex, on Friday.
The massive target was set early in the second session following an impressive attacking display of batting by the Hurricanes, led by Devon Thomas.
Similar to the first innings, the Red Force top order struggled with the trio of Tion Webster, Jeremy Solozano and Darren Bravo failing to reach double figures for the second time in the match.
Solozano was first caught for four at second slip by Kieran Powell off pacer Sheno Berridge, before Webster was caught in the slips by Terence Warde to give pacer Jeremiah Louis the scalp as Red Force slumped to 10/2.
Bravo and Jason Mohammed added 40 runs for the third wicket, but the former only contributed two off a painstaking 42 deliveries before being dismissed by Louis.
Bravo, who has been dropped by the West Indies for upcoming tours, scored seven in the first innings.
Mohammed took the attack to the Hurricanes with a flurry of fours, especially against left-arm pacer Colin Archibald, but was next to go to leave Red Force 53/4.
Mohammed scored 36 off 53 balls, including eight fours.
Joshua Da Silva and Yannic Cariah showed some resistance and took Red Force to 100 without any further loss.
However, with no change to the score Da Silva was given leg before for 27, attempting to sweep off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall. Akeal Hosein was then bowled by Cornwall as Leewards began sniffing victory. However, Cariah and Bryan Charles survived the remaining overs.
Cariah is 36 not out off 101 balls and Charles is six not out.
Louis is the pick of the bowlers for Hurricanes with 3/26 in ten overs and Cornwall has 2/13 in 14 overs.
Earlier in the day, Hurricanes only needed a little more than one session to score over 200 runs.
Resuming day three on 23 without loss in their second innings, Hurricanes declared 35 minutes into the second session on 241/7 in 47.1 overs. It was a mammoth lead of 458 runs.
Thomas played a knock that would have been impressive even if it was a T20 contest as he struck five fours in his innings of 84 off 53 deliveries.
It was an extraordinary display of batting as he utilised the late cut on many occasions.
Thomas also demonstrated his power hitting with six sixes.
Powell, who scored 139 in the first innings, was on course for another century before being brilliantly run out.
Thomas played another late cut and Hosein, fielding at short third man, showed his athleticism by diving to collect the ball and with a direct hit ran out Powell.
He cracked six fours and three sixes in his innings of 83 off 96 balls.
It was 225/4 when Thomas's brutal innings ended when he fell to leg-spinner Cariah.
A few quick wickets fell before the dec
