The experienced Veerasammy Permaul made telling contributions with bat and ball on Thursday, but Windward Islands Volcanoes held the upper hand against Guyana Harpy Eagles on day two of the second round match in the West Indies Four-Day Championship in Grenada.
After gaining a sizeable lead of 125 on first innings, Volcanoes ended the second day on 48-2, an overall lead of 173 with two days remaining and eight wickets in hand.
Left-arm spinner Permaul made an immediate impact at the start of the day, plucking out the final two Volcanoes wicket to end with 4-70 off 22.5 overs. That haul took his tally this season to 10 wickets from three innings.
His double strike meant Volcanoes, resuming on 292-8, were dismissed for 294 with overnight batsman Ryan John left stranded on 51.
Skipper Alick Athanaze was the highlight of the Volcanoes innings with a sparkling 141 on the opening day, while Sunil Ambris made 47.
Guyana Harpy Eagles then lost wickets at regular intervals, slipping to 14-3 then 69-6 as the Volcanoes bowlers pegged away before and after lunch.
It took a seventh-wicket partnership of 61 between Permaul and Kevin Sinclair to not just revive the innings, but take Harpy Eagles safely beyond the follow-on mark.
Permaul, with scores of 33 and 37 in the first round win over defending champions Barbados Pride, rallied the lower-order with his fourth First-Class fifty.
He was eventually the last man dismissed for 53 off 92 balls (2x4s, 2x6s) as Volcanoes were bowled out for 169 in the final session, seamer Justin Greaves taking 5-24 off 18 overs.
Such was the struggle for the Harpy Eagles that six batsmen fell for single-digit scores, including the top-order quartet- Matthew Nandu (2), Chandrapaul Hemraj (4), Tevin Imlach (3) and Leon Johnson (5).
Kevin Sinclair made 23, Anthony Bramble 21 and Kemol Savory 20.
In a tricky passage of play, Windward Islands lost opener Jerlani Robinson for three and the in-form Athanaze for 11, to Ronsford Beaton and Nial Smith respectively.
Sunil Ambris (18*) and Kavem Hodge (13*) then negotiated the remaining overs to ensure the Volcanoes went to bed without further loss.
Summaried scores of the other two matches in Antigua:
At Coolidge Cricket Ground: Jamaica Scorpions 140 all out from 54.5 overs (Jamie Merchant 35, Tevin Gilzene 32, Abhijai Mansingh 27; Shamar Springer 3-11, Camarie Boyce 3-26, Akeem Jordan 3-48) and 6-0 vs Barbados Pride 215 all out from 69.5 overs (Shayne Moseley 82, Shane Dowrich 64*; Patrick Harty 4-23, Marquindo Mindley 2-25, Abhijai Mansingh 2-30)
At Sir Vivian Richards Stadium: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 369-8 from 114 overs (Daren Bravo 100, Imran Khan 68*, Yannic Cariah 52, Terrance Hinds 51; Jeremiah Louis 3-56, Sheeno Berridge 2-73, Colin Archibald 2-83)
