It’s not all doom and gloom – Miller

IT TOOK just one ball for Shermon Lewis to hand the Windward Islands Volcanoes victory over the Jamaica Scorpions following final-day action in their West Indies Championship match at the Guyana National Stadium yesterday.

Resuming on 233 for nine and still needing 182 runs to win the contest, Scorpions number-10 batsman Nicholson Gordon, who was on two, had his stumps knocked back by Lewis with the very first ball of the final morning to hand Lewis his fifth wicket of the innings and in the process, securing a comprehensive 181-run win for the Volcanoes franchise.

Dejection was an understatement in the Scorpions camp with the Jamaicans now having to contend with back-to-back losses in the tournament following their second-round loss to Barbados Pride.

Assistant coach Nikita Miller slipped out of a lengthy team meeting to have a word with The Sunday Gleaner via telephone, and the coach said the mood was obviously sombre, but the players have accepted responsibility for their below-par effort, especially with the bat.

Miller contended that the players were ‘second-guessing themselves’ and not showing the sort of commitment required to carry out the skills needed at the level.

Despite those observations, Miller feels the team can turn things around in the coming rounds.

“It’s not all doom and gloom, but we ask the players to bring the sort of energy and fight that they showed in the last innings into the first innings of the next game. The first innings is where we need all the effort to set up the game because you get batting points in the first innings but not in the second.”

SOME POSITIVES

Miller was quick to point out the positives that the team had with wicketkeeper Aldane Thomas getting his maiden first-class half-century and rookie Abhijai Mansingh scoring his third half-century in three games.

He also singled out the comeback effort of veteran all-rounder Derval Green, who bagged five wickets in the match and got a couple of scores to go along with his bowling effort.

The Scorpions are expected to welcome back West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood when they face leaders Guyana Harpy Eagles in their fourth-round clash at the Guyana national stadium next week.

Despite sitting at the foot of the table, Miller believes the Scorpions can still spring a few surprises and sting the Harpy Eagles on home soil.

“We have played them here before and beaten them when they were leading as well. We are aware that they are playing well, but we are wounded right now and a wounded Jamaica team tends to come up with the goods.”