Lugg’s 79 highlights Jamaica Scorpions’ reply

Towering right-handed opener Leroy Lugg hit a solid half-century to lead the Jamaica Scorpions to 186 for six on yesterday’s second day of the West Indies Championship match against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. The Scorpions will resume today’s third day trailing by 74 runs after the Hurricanes scored 260 in their first innings.

Lugg was his usual aggressive self, using just 82 balls to score his 79 runs which included eight fours and four sixes.

His knock set up a decent reply by the Scorpions, as the opening pair had put on 60 runs for the first wicket before Kirk McKenzie went leg before wicket to Colin Archibald for 18.

Each time the Scorpions looked to put together a decent partnership, they would lose a wicket, and it took a solid 72-run fifth wicket partnership between captain Paul Palmer Jr and Abhijai Mansingh to put the Scorpions back on course.

Palmer was looking compact and assured of a half-century but he went caught by Terrance Ward off Rahkeem Cornwall for 47, after facing 97 balls and hitting eight boundaries.

Debutant Mansingh will resume today on 34 after facing 99 balls and hitting five fours. Gordon Bryan is the other not-out batsman. He is yet to score after facing 11 deliveries.

Off-spinner Cornwall has so far taken three wickets for 47 runs, with Archibald picking up two wickets so far.

Earlier, Mansingh and seamer Marquino Mindley picked up three wickets each while Bryan snared two scalps, as the Hurricanes, who resumed on 163 for six, were dismissed for 260, thanks to a defiant unbeaten knock of 78 from lower order batter Jeremiah Louis.

Louis batted all of 171 balls and hit seven fours and three sixes, as he added 47 runs with Cornwall (29) for the seventh wicket and then 46 runs with Archibald who made 17.

Scorpions coach Andrew Richardson credited the Leewards lower order for showing fight in what he sees as an evenly poised contest.

“I thought that our batting could have been a bit more disciplined. Lugg played his game and I thought Palmer played a captain’s innings. I thought we lost two wickets too many towards the close, but things are still evenly poised,”he said.

At North Sound, Guyana Harpy Eagles posted 371 all out with debutant opener Matthew Nandu scoring 126. Kevin Sinclair and Veerasammy Permaul chipped in with 43 and 37, respectively against three wickets for Jair McAllister and Chaim Holder.

Barbados Pride in reply were 105 for three, still trailing by 266 runs. Opener Sheyne Moseley made 65.

In Grenada the Windward Islands Volcanoes reached 397 for three in their second innings after trailing Trinidad and Tobago by 72 runs on first innings.

The Volcanoes’ lead of 325 was largely because of 192 scored by opener Kimani Melius. Kavem Hodge made 80 while Alick Athanaze is not out on 49 and Sunil Ambris 42.

Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 243 and 397 for three, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 315.