Miller bags eight at Sabina

Yesterday's early dismissal of Barbados Pride opener Kraigg Brathwaite lifted the spirit in the Jamaica Scorpions camp and now they have a fighting chance of topping the visitors in their West Indies Cricket Board Regional First-Class match at Sabina Park.

Brathwaite lasted just an additional nine minutes and 11 balls on yesterday's second day before he was stumped by wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton off the bowling of spinner Nikita Miller without adding to his overnight score.

With Brathwaite gone, the rest of the Barbados Pride batting struggled against Miller and they were dismissed for 217 in their first innings.

The Scorpions, who scored 177 in their first innings, then ended on 22 for two at the close, 18 runs in arrears, after rain forced the abandonment of some of the second and all of the third session of play.

"Overnight, I was thinking about it I was thinking I have to get rid of Kraigg early in the morning as he is the person his team basically bats around," stated Miller, who, in another outstanding spell of left-arm spin bowling, finished with eight for 67.

"The plan, therefore, was to go hard at him and get him out, and it worked. I am happy for the team," said Miller, who extended his lead atop the tournament's bowling charts to 56.

Meanwhile, looking at the state of the game, which is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. today, Miller said the Scorpions remain hopeful.

DRIVING SEAT

"I think Barbados are in the driving seat now," he said. "We are still in the negative and need to get a lead before we lose anymore wickets."

Brathwaite, meanwhile, whose overnight partner Royston Chase, after resuming on nine went on to score a 53, said with the wicket good for spin bowling, he will be looking to his spinners in Jamaica's second innings.

"Our batting did not do as well as we had expected as, from day one, the pitch has been taking some spin and is not an easy wicket to bat on," he said.

"Jamaica also have an experienced bowler such as Miller, who kept it tight.

"But we have some spinners that can come into play, and once we can string those dot-balls and build pressure, I think we will come out on top."

Other scores:

At the National Cricket Centre, Trinidad and Tobago: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 225 all out; Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 264 for six.

At Beausejour Stadium, St Lucia: Windward Islands Volcanoes' 216; Guyana Jaguars 310 for seven.

SCOREBOARD

SCORPIONS 1st Innings 177

PRIDE 1st Innings

(overnight 103 for three)

*K. Brathwaite st Walton b Miller 66

R. Chase c wkp Walton b Miller 53

+S. Dowrich lbw b McCarthy 5

K. Stoute lbw b Miller 17

J. Greaves c and b Miller 14

J. Warrican lbw b Miller 3

H. Walsh Jr c Campbell b McCarthy 22

M Cummins not out 8

Extras (b1, nb8) 9

TOTAL (all out, 83.3 overs) 217

Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-58, 3-71, 4-108, 5-113, 6-134, 7-162, 8-166, 9-199, 10-217.

Bowling: Dawes 12-3-39-0 (nb4), Gordon 7-1-18-0 (nb4), D Thomas 2-0-20-0, Miller 37-11-67-8, Jacobs 11-3-28-0, Campbell 9-1-27-0, McCarthy 5.3-1-17-2.

SCORPIONS 2nd Innings

S. Thomas c Brathwaite b Warrican 5

*J. Campbell not out 10

K. Edwards c Chase b Warrican 2

A. McCarthy not out 5

TOTAL (2 wkts, 12 overs) 22

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-10.

Bowling: Warrican 6-2-10-2, Cummins 2-0-3-0, Chase 4-0-9-0.

Position: Scorpions trail by 18 runs overall.

Toss: Scorpions.

Umpires: Christopher Wright, Nigel Duguid.