Scorpions crushed by nine wickets at Sabina Park

The Jamaica Scorpions, despite putting up a better batting display in their second innings, succumbed to the Windward Islands Volcanoes by nine wickets on day three of their four-day West Indies Championship encounter at Sabina Park yesterday.

That better display in the second innings was led by a half-century knock from wicketkeeper Romaine Morris, as the Scorpions who resumed on 76 for four, folded for 234 after which the Volcanoes chased down the 52 runs needed to win the contest for the loss of just one wicket.

After the game, Scorpions captain Jermaine Blackwood said the first-innings effort with the bat set back the team and ultimately cost them the game.

“Our batting in the first innings let us down but we just have to regroup and come again. Once we see off this new ball, we should be good with the batting lineup that we have and the depth,” Blackwood said.

Winning captain Kimani Melius thanked his team for a stellar all-around effort.

“It’s always good to start with a win and I must commend the guys for the three days of hard cricket that we played. Special commendation must be given to Ryan John, Johan Jeremiah and Shamar Springer who helped us to get over the line,” the former West Indies Under-19 captain said.

Earlier, the Scorpions knew that they would have to bat out of their skin to first erase the deficit of 182 runs and then post a decent score to have any positive result in the game. Overnight batsmen Nkrumah Bonner and Gordon Bryan looked intent on doing so after they added 33 runs for the fifth wicket, but Bonner, who added just nine more runs to his overnight score of 36, fell short of his half-century when he was trapped in front by Shamar Springer for 45 at 109 for five.

All-rounder Abhijai Mansingh faced 48 balls in getting to 11, but he fell just before lunch to sink the Scorpions further.

The visitors went in for the kill and picked up the wicket of Bryan right after lunch for 31 and then Peat Salmon for 15 to leave the home side’s innings in tatters at 161 for eight.

All this time Morris meticulously gathered his runs, and he faced 76 balls and hit seven fours and two sixes on his way to a top score of 68.

The left-hander found a useful partner in Derval Green and the pair shared in a 52-run ninth-wicket stand before Green fell for seven.

OVER-AGGRESSION

Morris looked to push on to eke out more runs, but his over-aggression cost him his wicket as he was the last man to fall with the score on 234.

Pacer Darius Martin, who had picked up two wickets from the previous day, finished with four wickets for 85 runs with Shamar Springer and Kenneth Dember grabbing two wickets each.

Needing 52 runs to win, the Volcanoes lost captain Melius to Marquino Mindley for four, but Jeremy Solozano with 29 not out and an unbeaten 22 from Johan Jeremiah saw the visitors over the line.

Scores in other matches after day three:

At Warner Park: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 137 and 124 for four (Mikyle Louis 55; Johann Layne 2-26). West Indies Academy 177 (Joshua Bishop 48, Mbeki Joseph 42; Jeremiah Louis 5-29, Javier Spencer 3-43).

At Chedwin Park: Barbados Pride 344 for eight decl. Combined Colleges 185 (Jonathan Carter 59; Jomel Warrican 4-29, Chaim Holder 3-71) and 96 for two (Shamarh Brooks 44 not out).