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Too much Pride - Scorpions show fight but Barbados still hold upper hand heading into Day 3

Published:Saturday | January 25, 2020 | 12:16 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
Barbados Pride batsman Shane Dowrich in action during Day Three of the Cricket West Indies Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day match at Sabina Park in Kingston yesterday.
Barbados Pride batsman Shane Dowrich in action during Day Three of the Cricket West Indies Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day match at Sabina Park in Kingston yesterday.

The Jamaica Scorpions showed some amount of fight. However, the Barbados Pride still hold the upper hand after day two of their Cricket West Indies Professional Cricket League Regional 4-Day match at Sabina Park yesterday.

At stumps, the Pride were 179 for six in their second innings, a lead of 260 runs this after the visitors dismissed the Scorpions for 138 in their first innings.

Left-arm spinner Patrick Harty Jr removed one of the innings top scorers, Kyle Mayers, for 53 just before the close as Ashley Nurse was left unbeaten on two. Wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich is the innings top scorer so far with 73.Earlier, The Scorpions who resumed on their overnight 53 for six, went on to add another 85 valuable runs thanks to a resilient knock of 35 from wicketkeeper Denis Smith and 25 from Derval Green.

After lunch, the Scorpions, were dismissed for 138, still, 81 runs short of Barbados’ first-innings score of 219.

With their backs against the wall, they knew that early wickets would get them back into the contest, and they did just that, as Gordon sent back Brathwaite for one with just a single run on the board.

Pumped up by that wicket, the Scorpions continued to apply the pressure as Gordon got Shamarh Brooks to mistime a pull shot and was brilliantly caught by a running Derval Green for five to leave the Pride on 16 for two.

Once again the vulnerability of the Pride top order was exposed, and it was only a matter of time before the Scorpions would pick up their third wicket.

This time it was Marquino Mindley who got in on the act, as he had Jonathan Carter fishing outside off stump and was caught behind for six to leave the Pride in Tatters at 27 for three.

Opener Shane Mosely watched from the other end as the wickets fell, and he was forced to take a more sedate approach. However, when he decided to step up the tempo, he would be the fourth wicket to fall, as he skied Gordon to Williams for 19 with the score 58 for four.

Slide halted

Buoyed by the wickets, the Scorpions continued to attack. However, wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and Kyle Mayers dug in and stopped the slide.

The pair would put on 112 for the fifth wicket to resuscitate the Pride innings as Dowrich would bring up his 25th first-class half-century off 80 balls.

The right-hander got to 73 with nine fours. However, he would become the first of two wickets for left-arm slow bowler Patrick Harty Jr who came on to bowl late in the innings.

Harty got Dowrich to mistime a sweep shot which lobbed to Gordon at square leg as the Pride lost their fifth wicket at 170 for five.

The wicket lifted the confidence of Harty who was not done on the day as he trapped Kyle Mayers for 53 after the hard-hitting left-hander had batted for 89 balls and hit five fours.

The fall of that wicket prompted the umpires to leave the field in the fading light with Nurse not out on two as the Pride closed on 179 for six, a lead of 260 runs with two days to play.

Gordon has so far taken three for 27 and Harty two for 25.