Scorpions exact revenge on Volcanoes

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):

Chadwick Walton and Brandon King notched half-centuries as the Jamaica Scorpions finally broke their losing streak with a convincing six-wicket victory over the Windward Islands Volcanoes on the final day of their fifth-round encounter here yesterday. The Volcanoes had previously beaten the Scorpions by five wickets at Sabina Park in Kingston earlier this month.

Asked to chase 212 at the Grenada National Stadium, the Scorpions produced a measured run chase to pull off a comfortable win in the end, with Walton top-scoring with 79 and Brandon King getting 56.

Barbadian all-rounder Kenroy Williams put on the finishing touches with an unbeaten 36, handing the Scorpions their first win of the Regional Four-Day Championship in four outings.

Scorpions started the day well when they finished off the Volcanoes' innings with no addition to the overnight total of 198.

With the first ball of the day, left-arm spinner Dennis Bulli removed Shermon Lewis without scoring, and Scorpions then made a great start when Walton and Oraine Williams (18) put on 37 for the first wicket.

Left-arm spinner Larry Edward removed Williams to break the stand and Assad Fudadin (10) followed soon afterwards to leave the visitors on 53 for two.

Walton and King then joined forces to rescue the innings, posting their second 100-run stand of the contest with a third-wicket partnership of 102.

Walton, who struck 125 in the first innings, faced 135 balls in two hours and 45 minutes and counted six fours while King, who made 52 in the first innings, hit a four and a pair of sixes in an innings lasting 141 deliveries and two hours and 37 minutes.

However, part-time off-spinner Tyrone Theophile, who claimed four for 44, hauled the hosts back into the affair as Scorpions lost three wickets for 15 runs to tumble to 170 for five.

Walton played back to one from left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge, which kept low and was lbw, and captain Paul Palmer lasted half hour for his six before whipping Theophile to mid-wicket, where Alick Athanaze took a great catch.

Theophile then struck again when he had Jerome Taylor holing out to long on without scoring.

With the match in the balance, Williams strode to the wicket to win the match for Scorpions, putting on a valuable 22 for the sixth wicket with King and a further 20 with Aldaine Thomas (three not out) in an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership.

The 34-year-old Williams, in his second match of the season, struck six fours in a fluent 54-ball knock.

SCOREBOARD

VOLCANOES 1st Innings 285

SCORPIONS 1st Innings 272

VOLCANOES 2nd Innings

(overnight 198 for nine)

D Smith st Thomas b Bulli 47

T Gabriel lbw b Green 4

T Theophile c Bulli b Taylor 9

*K Edwards lbw b Bulli 21

K Hodge c King b Bulli 52

A Athanaze b Williams 27

+D Smith c Taylor b Bulli 6

R Jordan lbw b Walton 16

J Thomas c & b Walton 0

L Edward not out 5

S Lewis c Palmer b Bulli 0

Extras (b2, lb9) 11

TOTAL (all out, 57.1 overs) 198

Bowling: Taylor 7-0-32-1, Green 8-1-30-1, Levy 5-1-11-0, Williams 17-1-50-1, Bulli 16.1-0-54-5, Walton 4-0-10-2.

SCORPIONS 2nd Innings (target: 212 runs)

C Walton lbw b Hodge 79

O Williams c Jordan b Edward 18

A Fudadin lbw b Theophile 10

B King c DS Smith b Theophile 56

*P Palmer Jr c Athanaze b Theophile 6

J Taylor c Hodge b Theophile 0

K Williams not out 36

+A Thomas not out 3

Extras (b1, lb3) 4

TOTAL (6 wkts, 74.4 overs) 212

Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-53, 3-155, 4-166, 5-170, 6-192.

Bowling: Thomas 5-0-19-0, Hodge 25.4-6-67-1, Edward 14-1-44-1, Jordan 4-0-23-0, Theophile 18-4-44-4, Athanaze 8-2-11-0.

Result: Scorpions won by four wickets.

Toss: Scorpions.

Umpires: Carl Tuckett, Zahid Bassarath.