Scorpions leaning on positives headed into Pride matchup

BUOYED BY an emphatic victory over the Combined Campuses and Colleges last week, the Jamaica Scorpions will be oozing with confidence and looking to seize any opportunities when they take on the Barbados Pride in their round three West Indies Championship encounter at Sabina Park starting today.

The Scorpions jumped to third in the standings following the huge win over CCC, amassing 24.4 points after two rounds with a win and a loss.

The Barbados Pride, who have a similar win-loss record, are in fifth place with 22.8 points, and Scorpions coach Andrew Richardson said his team will have to play their game and their brand of cricket if they are to get over their arch-rivals.

“We will be looking to play our game and our style of cricket which helped us to get success in our last encounter. It simply means that our top order will have to set the foundation and come to the party once again and take our opportunities when they present themselves,” said Richardson.

That top order included openers Chadwick Walton and Carlos Brown, who batted well in both innings of the match against the CCC where Walton scored 163 and 46 not out and Brown got 48 and 19 not out.

“Chadwick has been awesome and it is pleasing to see how he is bringing young Carlos along and we hope that they can carry on in that vein.”

That top order could see some changes with Kensington CC batsman Leroy Lugg drafted into the squad for the injured Nkrumah Bonner.

Lugg is known predominantly as an opening batsman. However, Richardson made it clear that the big-hitting right-hander knows his role if he should be included in the final 11.

“He is a batsman and he is expected to do his job if given the nod. He knows his role.”

On the bowling side, the Scorpions will be forced to make one change with pacer Marquino Mindley picking up an injury and he is replaced in the squad by Derval Green, who played in the first encounter against the Windward Island Volcanoes.

The Barbados Pride, on the other hand, will be hoping that in-form batsman Kevin Wickham can continue his run-scoring exploits, having scored a century and a half-century so far.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican with 12 wickets will lead the Pride bowling attack, which also includes off-spinner Chaim Holder, who has 10 wickets to his name.

In other games starting today, leaders the Windward Islands Volcanoes play the CCC at Chedwin Park, the West Indies Academy will take on the Guyana Harpy Eagles at Coolidge in Antigua, while the Leeward Islands Hurricanes entertain the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at Warner Park.