A destructive spell from Jomel Warrican set up Barbados Pride for a 10-wicket victory over Jamaica Scorpions in the West Indies Championship on Friday.
The West Indies Test left-arm spinner grabbed 6-78 from 30 overs and Scorpions collapsed to 233 all out in their second innings about an hour after tea on the final day of their second round match at Kensington Oval.
Warrican and Pride defied a few pockets of resistance from the Scorpions led by West Indies Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood, whose 61 was the top score, while Jamie Merchant got 47, Paul Palmer Jr made 37, and Nkrumah Bonner added 33.
Set 42 to win, Pride reached the target about 20 minutes before the scheduled close when Shayne Moseley formalised the result with a lofted straight drive off Jamie Merchant’s off-spin for the last of his seven fours.
The result meant Pride secured 21 points from the match, comprising 12 for winning, four batting points, three bowling points, and two pace bowling points, and Scorpions got only 4.4.
Pride lead the standings with 42 points, only 3.4 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, and Scorpions sunk to the bottom of the table with only 8.8.
Cricket West Indies, the sport’s regional governing body, has not publicly released the fixtures for the remaining three rounds of matches, so it is not clear yet in which order Pride wil play the other three teams in the Championship.
Before lunch, Pride made only one breakthrough after Scorpions resumed from their overnight total of 56 for two.
Off-spinner Chaim Holder struck an early, but vital blow for the hosts when he removed Scorpions captain and first innings century-maker John Campbell caught at slip for 16, playing defensively forward, in the second over of the morning.
Pride and West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite put down Bonner, on 32, at first slip in the first over from Jonathan Carter, bowling his brisk medium-pace, just before rain stopped play about 45 minutes before lunch.
After lunch, Pride met further defiance from Blackwood and Bonner, and they added 72 before Warrican struck twice in the span of four overs, and Scorpions slipped to 134 for four.
Warrican got Bonner caught at slip and Blackwood was caught at short leg, both batsmen playing tentatively forward, in the first half-hour after lunch, but Palmer and Alwyn Williams defied them for another hour either side of taking the visitors to 174 for four at tea.
Once Brathwaite trapped Williams lbw for 17 with the second ball after tea, the floodgates flew open and Scorpions lost their last five wickets – four to Warrican – for 48.
Summarised scores:
SCORPIONS 328 (John Campbell 127, Paul Palmer 76, Nkrumah Bonner 49, Leroy Lugg 39, Jamie Merchant 12; Raymon Reifer 13.4-4-23-6) and 233 (Jermaine Blackwood 61, Jamie Merchant 47, Nkrumah Bonner 37, Paul Palmer Jr 33, Alwyn Williams 17, John Campbell 16, Leroy Lugg 10; Jomel Warrican 30-7-78-6, Chaim Holder 2-85).
PRIDE 521 for eight declared (Kraigg Brathwaite 276, Raymon Reifer 71, Jonathan Carter 68, Shamarh Brooks 39, Shane Dowrich 26; Patrick Harty 35-5-111-5) and 42 without loss (Shayne Moseley 34 not out).
(AR)
