Pride take upper hand on Scorpions

Barbados Pride produced a steady bowling display to bundle out Jamaica Scorpions and take the upper hand on day one of their third round clash in the West Indies Championship on Wednesday.

 

Choosing to bowl first at Kensington Oval, Pride managed to send the visitors packing for a disappointing 231, and were nine without loss in reply, heading into Thursday’s second day.

 

Chaim Holder was the leading bowler with three for 66 while fellow off-spinner Kraigg Brathwaite (2-1), Test left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-42) and Test seamer Kemar Roach (2-45) all finished with two wickets each.

 

Pride removed both Scorpions’ main threats cheaply with in-form captain and opener John Campbell falling for 16 and former Test vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood making 30.

 

West Indies white-ball star Odean Brown counter-attacked superbly for top score of 50 off 42 balls while Jeavor Royal supported with a patient 43, to push the Scorpions’ total past the 200-run mark.

 

In the three overs possible at the end, captain Brathwaite and opening partner Zachary McCaskie were both on four.

 

Pride made a strong start when Roach, in for his first match of the season following last month’s Test tour of Pakistan, had the left-handed Campbell caught down the leg-side gloving a catch to wicketkeeper Leniko Boucher at 25 for one.

 

Carlos Brown, who made 29, and out-of-favour Test left-hander Kirk McKenzie (19) put on a promising 39 for the second wicket before both departed within 30 deliveries of each other. First, McKenzie shouldered arms to one from seamer Matthew Forde which came back and was plumb lbw and Brown edged a cut behind off Warrican.

 

Blackwood, coming off a hundred in the first round, then combined with hard-hitting Javelle Glenn in a 48-run fourth wicket partnership, which helped take Scorpions to lunch on 113 for three.

 

Glenn, who struck two fours and two sixes in a 51-ball knock, departed in the fourth over following the resumption when he drove at a widish delivery from Holder and edged to slip, his dismissal triggering a slide which saw four wickets tumble for 15 runs.

 

Brad Barnes (2) was adjudged caught at short leg off Holder and after a protracted rain delay, Daniel Beckford inside-edged a forward defensive prod at Roach and was taken behind.

 

Blackwood’s 70-ball knock ended in the next over, the right-hander taken low down at short mid-wicket off Holder, after counting three fours.

 

With Scorpions tottering on 138 for seven, Brown and Royal resisted in an entertaining 77-run, eighth wicket stand. Brown flexed his shoulders to lash two fours and four sixes while Royal punched five fours.

 

However, once Smith drove Warrican uppishly and was snared at short mid-off, Scorpions lost their last three wickets cheaply.

(BT)