Scorpions’ batting flops again

It is no secret that the Jamaica Scorpions batting in this year’s West Indies Championship has been woeful, and once again, the frailties of the team’s batsmen were exposed yet again, this time against the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force on day two of their final-round encounter at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy yesterday.

The Jamaicans will resume today’s third day on 199 for five, which is a lead of 22 runs, this after they folded for just 125 in their first-innings, replying to Trinidad and Tobago’s 302 and were asked to follow-on.

It all went downhill for the Jamaican franchise from the get-go in the second morning as they resumed on five for one, which swiftly became seven for two in just the second over of the day.

Opener Leroy Lugg became the first of five wickets for medium pacer Tion Webster, who ripped apart the Scorpions’ top and middle order.

The right-armer sent back Test batsman and captain Jermaine Blackwood for just 11 then had debutant Carlos Brown caught for five and Abhijai Mansingh out for a first-ball duck to leave the Jamaicans in tatters at 23 for five.

Debutant Brad Barnes and Aldane Thomas added 27 runs for the sixth wicket, but Anderson Phillip accounted for Barnes for 15, and Terrance Hinds took care of Thomas for 12 to further peg back the Scorpions, who were teetering at 50 for seven in just the 13th over.

It took a 62-run eight-wicket partnership between Derval Green and Jeavor Royal to bring the score to some respectability before Hinds had Royal caught for 27, having faced 44 balls.

Derval Green hit eight fours in his top score of 39, but he, too, fell to Hinds as the Jamaicans folded for 125 in less than 30 overs. Webster finished with five wickets for 36 runs while Hinds picked up three wickets for 40 runs.

After the follow-on was enforced, Jamaicans lost five wickets before stumps were drawn, but half-centuries from Leroy Lugg, 66, and captain Blackwood, 68, ensured that they had a slender lead of just 22 runs, with five wickets still in hand.

Anderson Phillip and Brian Charles have picked up two wickets so far.

Other scores:

At Queen’s Park Oval: Volcanoes lead by 24 runs with six second innings intact.

Windward Islands Volcanoes 237 (Alick Athanaze 59, Tevyn Walcott 55, Ryan John 41; Akeem Jordan 5-44) and 14 for four (Jomel Warrican 2-0)

Barbados Pride 227 (Shayne Moseley 112; Larry Edward 6-45).

At the Guyana National Stadium: Harpy Eagles trail by 77 runs with nine second-innings wickets intact.

Guyana Harpy Eagles 122 (Matthew Nandu 22; Rahkeem Cornwall 4-27) and 48 for one (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 20 not out).

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 247 (Jahmar Hamilton 58, Kofi James 42; Nial Smith 4-33, Veerasammy Permaul 3-51).