Captain Nikita Miller is hopeful that the Jamaica Scorpions will make it two wins in as many matches when they take on cellar dwellers Windwards Volcanoes in the fifth round of the Cricket West Indies-Digicel Four-day Championship at Sabina Park, starting today.
The Scorpions, who are fifth in the six-team standings, recorded their first win two weeks ago when they defeated the Leeward Hurricanes in St Kitts.
This was due largely to the return of the experienced Miller, who, after sitting out the first three games due to an injury, returned to claim five wickets in each innings.
Jamaica, in their opening three encounters of the 10-round championship, registered two draws and a defeat.
"Apart from leaders Guyana, we are still close to the other teams that are ahead of us," Miller said. Guyana are on 64.8 points. The Hurricanes have 44.6, Barbados Pride 42.4, T&T Red Force 41.8, Scorpions 36.6 and the Volcanoes, sixth on 18.4.
"We therefore need to take care of matters here at home as the other teams are playing each other and could drop points."
Miller, who earlier this year steered the Scorpions to the final of the regional one-day tournament, is confident that his team has what it takes to turn back the Windwards.
Although the Windwards, under new coach, Jamaican AndrÈ Coley, are usually a fighting team, Miller believes that most of his players are gradually coming into their own.
He highlighted, for example, Guyanese-born batsman Assad Fudadin as someone he is looking forward to ''kick-on'' after getting into double figures in each of his innings this season and he is eagerly anticipating the return of batting all-rounder Fabian Allen, who is the team's only century-maker this season.
Allen, after scoring an unbeaten 168 against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the second round in Trinidad, picked up a foot injury during the game and missed the team's next two fixtures.
"The Windwards are a dangerous team as they possess players with West Indies and West Indies 'A' experience. However, we are gradually getting into our own," he said.
JAMAICA SCORPIONS (from) - Nikita Miller (captain), Fabian Allen, John Campbell, Assad Fudadin, Garth Garvey, Derval Green, Trevon Griffith, Damion Jacobs, Brandon King, Reynard Leveridge, Paul Palmer, Steven Taylor, Oshane Thomas
WINDWARDS VOLCANOES (from) - Tyrone Theophile (captain), Audy Alexander, Miles Bascombe, Roland Cato, Kenneth Dember, Tarryck Gabriel, Donwell Hector, Delorn Johnson, Sherman Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Shane Shillingford, Dennis Smith, Devon Smith