Mop up job!
A five-wicket haul by pacer Jerome Taylor has placed Jamaica Scorpions on top in their historic day/night Digicel Regional Four-day contest against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Sabina Park at the tea break yesterday.
Taylor signalled a return to form as he used the conditions well to lead the way in restricting the Hurricanes to a paltry 71 inside 35 overs. However, the dismal batting display on the day continued as the Scorpions also lost wickets in quick succession and were reeling at 36-4 in their first innings at the tea interval.
Andre McCarthy was not out on 13 and was to be joined by Devon Thomas on the resumption.
Play on today’s third day is scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm.
Scores: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 71 all out (34.4 overs); Jamaica Scorpions 36-4 (14.2 overs).
Taylor ended with figures of 5-31 from his 14 overs, including four maidens. He was supported by Marquino Mindley (2-13) and Captain Nikita Miller (2-4), as the Hurricanes batsman failed to efficiently navigate the bowling.
Rahkeem Cornwall with a top score of 29, including two fours, and young Keacey Carty with 26, were the only batsmen to offer any kind of resistance.
After losing the entire first day due to inclement weather, the Scorpions won the toss and invited the Hurricanes to take first strike on a slightly damp pitch, with a shade of grass. The decision proved very effective, as the seamers utilised the conditions to their advantage.
The opening rotation of Taylor and Mindley wasted little time in hitting the right areas, and the latter was eventually rewarded with the wicket of Captain Kieran Powell, who was caught at second slip by Jermaine Blackwood for 10.
Taylor had the other opener Montcin Hodge also caught in the slip cordon by Blackwood for nought off the first ball of the very next over to leave the visitors in a spot of bother at 10-2.
Things got worse for the Hurricanes, as they found themselves three down for 25 runs at the start of the 12th over, when Jermaine Otto (four) was bowled by a beautiful delivery from Mindley, which went straight through his half-hearted defence.
A heavy shower of rain swept across the venue causing a brief delay, but it was not enough to disrupt the flow of the Scorpions’ bowling attack, as they made further inroads into the Hurricanes line-up.
Rising all-rounder Rovman Powell had Jamaican Nkrumah Bonner, who was drafted to the Hurricanes team, caught by Shacoya Thomas at short leg for a duck.
Miller, the left-arm finger spinner, had wicketkeeper/batsman Jahmar Hamilton (zero) caught by Taylor at short fine leg on the stroke of the lunch interval with the score at 41-5.
Shortly after the break, Taylor found the edge of Carty’s bat twice in successive deliveries with the first falling just shy of first slip.
However, the young batsman was not so lucky on the second occasion and wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton gratefully accepted the second to erase any hopes the Hurricanes may have had about turning their fortunes.
From 41-6 the score quickly became 67-9, as Taylor ripped through the lower order, getting rid of Jeremiah Louis, Gavin Tonge and Alzarri Joseph.
The big-hitting Cornwall tried to inject some tempo into the innings, but that led to his demise as he skied one from Miller to Thomas diving forward at deep mid-wicket.
It was also a shaky start to the Scorpions’ response with their batting capabilities or lack thereof once again coming to the fore.
Thomas (two), who replaced John Campbell in the team, was the first of Gavin Tonge’s victims as he edged to Hamilton after chasing a loose delivery down the leg side.
Blackwood came with his usual attacking intent and went soon after, holing out to Jeremiah Louis in the cover region, also to Tonge for two.
And the pacer kept his team’s hopes alive when he had Walton adjudged leg-before-wicket for 11 with the score at 29-3.
Louis had King (six) caught by Hodge on the stroke of the tea interval.