Pride shame Scorpions on Day 1

The batting frailties of the Jamaica Scorpions were once again exposed by a fiery spell of fast bowling from Chemar Holder as the Barbados Pride ran rings around the Jamaica Scorpions on Day One of their Cricket West Indies Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day Championship match at Sabina Park yesterday.

The 22-year-old Holder bowled with pace and accuracy to claim five wickets in a late-evening eight-over spell to leave the Scorpions on 53 for six, replying to Barbados’ first innings score of 219.

Wicketkeeper Denis Smith is not out on seven as Rovman Powell was the last wicket to fall in the fading light.

Earlier, the Scorpions, who left out the injured Paul Palmer Jr, put in their best bowling performance to date to dismiss the visitors for under 250 runs after winning the toss.

The visitors crawled their way to a half-century opening stand with Windies Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite and Sheyne Mosley painstakingly taking the score to 52 before Brathwaite went leg before wicket to the medium pace of Powell for 25.

Four runs later, Powell found the edge of Shamar Brooks, who was snapped up at gully by Brandon King for a duck, to leave the visitors on 56 for two.

A 47-run third-wicket partnership between Mosley and Jonathan Carter steadied the ship for the Pride. However, Carter became the first of two wickets for Nicholson Gordon when he found Powell at mid-on for 11.

Mosely, who faced 127 balls and hit six fours and a six, was looking good on 64. However, he played one too many aerial shots and was well caught in the deep by Oraine Williams off Gordon with the score on 118 for 4.

Wicketkeeper Shane Dowich and Kyle Mayers continued to bat positively despite the fall of wickets, and they added 48 runs before Dowrich was undone by a beauty from Marquino Mindley for 14.

Mayers would eventually get to his half-century which included eight fours and a six. However, when he got to 53, he skied one off Powell and was caught in the deep with the score on 196 for six.

Mindley then mopped up the tail in a brilliant late-evening spell as he finished with four for 31 from 13 overs with Powell bagging three for 65 and Gordon two for 28.

Faced with just over an hour play remaining, the Scorpion openers John Campbell and Oraine Williams began their reply positively with Campbell unleashing some rasping pull shots and cover drives off the opening seamers.

It was only a matter of time though before Shamer Holder found his groove, as he induced the edge of Williams who was caught behind for three with 26 runs on the board.

Early trouble

New man Brandon King came but went just as quickly, as he played on Holder for three to leave the home side in early trouble at 30 for two in the eight over.

Things would get worse, as two runs later, Jermaine Blackwood turned a bouncing delivery from Holder straight into the lap of Mosely at short leg for one.

Shell-shocked by the proceedings, the Scorpion batsmen tried the survival tactic. However, that played right into the hands of the Pride seamers who went in for the kill.

Captain John Campbell, who faced 42 balls for his 26, was the next to go as he fended off a sharp rising Holder bouncer to gully to leave the Scorpions in tatters at 39 for four.

Windies pacer Kemar Roach then got in on the act, as the very next over he had Nkrumah Bonner bowled between the gates for a duck.

Rovman Powell and Denis Smith inched the score past the 50 mark, but just when things looked like the Scorpions would see out the day, Holder picked up his fifth wicket, when he had Powell caught at cover by Shamar Brooks for six at 53 for six.

The fall of Powell’s wicket signalled the end of play as the light faded and the Scorpions will have a lot of work to do on day two as they look to claw their way back into the game.

Holder has so far picked up five for 21 from 7 overs and three deliveries while Roach has so far picked up one for 21.