Jermaine Blackwood

Cricket West Indies awarded the title to the Barbados Pride after deciding to cancel the last two rounds of the competition.

However, it was the Jamaican, who came out on top of the individual batting statistics.

The 28-year-old middle-order batsman had a welcome return to the form that saw him force his way into the West Indies team in June 2014. He scored 768 in 15 innings at an average of 51.20. His only hundred was the 248 he scored against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in early March.

In addition to the double-hundred, Blackwood had six fifties that helped the Jamaica Scorpions finish the season tied with dethroned champions, the Guyana Jaguars.

Kyle Mayers of the champions was the next best run-scorer in the competition with 654 runs that included two centuries and five fifties that pushed his average up to 50.30.

Devon Smith of the Windward Island Volcanoes was prolific as usual at the regional level scoring 649 runs. However, he only averaged 46.35 even though he scored a century and four fifties.

Jamaica’s Nkrumah Bonner had the highest average of the specialist batsman and was fourth in the aggregate with 523 runs. After a shaky start to the season, he finished with two hundreds and two fifties and an average of 58.11.

The top-five was rounded out by Joshua da Silva of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force who scored 507 runs at an average of 50.70. He scored a century and three fifties.

However, the player with the highest batting average was the Antiguan fast bowler Joseph who had a decent season with the bat scoring 235 runs at an incredible average of 117.50s. He had two 50’s in the five innings he batted for the Hurricanes.

Campbell and Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood shared 155 for the second wicket to bring Scorpions back into the match in their second innings.

Blackwood made 76 before he was caught behind off pacer Josh Thomas, who had earlier bowled Campbell to end the day with 2-37 from 17 overs.

Nkrumah Bonner, not out on 40, and Paul Palmer Jr, not out on 36, batted through the final 90 minutes before the close to put the Scorpions ahead by 123 to set up an intriguing final day on Sunday.

Resuming from their overnight total of 203 for seven in their first innings, the Scorpions were bowled out inside the first hour with left-arm pacer Preston McSween taking two of the last three scalps to end with 3-41 from 15.2 overs.

Derval Green added 12 to his overnight score for the Scorpions top score of 62 before  Preston McSween dismissed him to bring the innings to a close.

Chasing 234 runs for victory, after they bowled out the academy team moments before scheduled close of play on Friday, the Scorpions were found wanting at 89-5 at lunch, with West Indies Test batsman Kirk McKenzie (47) and former captain Jermaine Blackwood (27) the only players to offer little resistance at that point.

However, captain Brandon King and Abhijai Mansingh staged a recovery mission to push the Scorpions to 176-6 at tea. Both batsmen were watchful in their respective knocks, as King topscored with 65 from 127 balls, including five boundaries, while Mansingh also had five boundaries in his 132-ball 42.

With less than 50 runs to get after that solid partnership was broken, Derval Green with an unbeaten 20 and Jeavor Royal, unbeaten on 18, completed the victory shortly before close.

The academy team’s pair of left-arm finger spinners Joshua Bishop and Ashmead Nedd ended with 4-79 and 3-95, respectively.

With the win, the Scorpions moved to 50.2 points in third behind Windward Islands Volcanoes (66.4 points) and Leeward Islands Hurricanes (64.2 points).

Barbados Pride (48.2 points), Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (47.2 points) and Guyana Harpy Eagles (46.2 points), come next, while West Indies Academy (30.8 points) and Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners (20.8 points), at the foot of the standings.

Scores: West Indies Academy 324 (Joshua Dorne 83, Jordan Johnson 61, Kadeem Alleyne 52, Joshua James 36, Rashawn Worrell 25, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 24; Ojay Shields 3-38, Derval Green 3-48, Abhijai Mansingh 2-69) and 281 (Carlton Bowen-Tuckett 53, Kadeem Alleyne 52, Joshua James 36, Ashmead Nedd 30, Jordan Johnson 26, Johann Layne 22 not out, Nyeem Young 21; Abhijai Mansingh 4-70, Peat Salmon 3-55)

Jamaica Scorpions 372 (Peat Salmon 81, Brandon King 77, Leroy Lugg 64, Derval Green 35, Carlos Brown 33, Kirk McKenzie 29; Joshua Bishop 33.2-7-96-6, Kadeem Alleyne 2-29) and 236 for eight (Brandon King 65, Kirk McKenzie 47, Abhijai Mansingh 42, Jermaine Blackwood 27, Derval Green 20 not out; Joshua Bishop 4-79, Ashmead Nedd 3-95).

Meanwhile, Leeward Islands Hurricanes were also victorious, as they defeated Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners by three wickets at Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad and Tobago.

Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 273(Amari Goodridge 75, Sadique Henry 73, Romario Greaves 58, Yannick Ottley 24; Daniel Doram 4-37, Jeremiah Louis 3-54, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-86) and 301 (Yannic Ottley 99, Odain McCatty 37, Sadique Henry 32, Zishan Motara 30, Roshon Primus 23; Rahkeem Cornwall 4-62, Jeremiah Louis 3-59).

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 259(Kieran Powell 114, Jeremiah Louis 31, Justin Greaves 29, Rahkeem Cornwall 22, Jahmar Hamilton 21; Romario Greaves 19.2-1-63-5, Zishan Motara 2-14, Jediah Blades 2-50) and 319 for seven (Keacy Carty 61, Justin Greaves 61, Rahkeem Cornwall 42 not out, Jeremiah Louis 30, Jahmar Hamilton 28; Jediah Blades 3-50, Zishan Motara 3-71).

Batting first, Shamarh Brooks (69) and Shai Hope (65), both posted half-centuries in leading Barbados Pride to 259, after which Leacock’s skill with the ball, trumped a brisk 94 from Jamaica Scorpions wicketkeeper/batsman Chadwick Walton and condemned the reigning champions to a second consecutive defeat.

Scores: Barbados Pride 258-6 (50 overs); Jamaica Scorpions 211 all out (44.3 overs)

Walton smashed six fours and six maximums in his 112-ball knock with Jeavor Royal contributing a 34-ball 44, while Jermaine Blackwood made a patient 30 off 49 balls in the Scorpions failed attempt to overhaul their target on this occasion. In their opening contest against Leeward Islands Hurricanes, they lost by eight wickets after posting a paltry total.

Blackwood, West Indies Test vice-captain, had four boundaries in his knock, while Royal had four sixes and one four in his late flurry.

Leacock, playing only his sixth List “A” match, required only eight overs to do the damage, as he accounted for Walton, captain Rovman Powell (zero), Shalome Powell (zero) and Fabian Allen (two).

This, as left-arm pacer Dominic Drakes, two for 14 from 3.3 overs, and Roston Chase, two for 37 from eight overs, took out the Scorpions middle order.

Earlier, the Pride, last year’s beaten semi-finalists had a slight stutter at the start, as they lost opener Kyle Mayers (one) with just four runs on the board.

However, West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Brooks steadied the innings with an 88-run stand, before the former fell for a 78-ball 45 which included two boundaries.

Brooks, who had three fours and one six in his 89-ball knock, formed another partnership worth 88 runs with West Indies One-day International captain Hope, whose 76-ball innings included four fours and one six.

There was another stutter after both fell, but Drakes hammered two fours and three sixes in 18-ball cameo to end unbeaten on 40 and, more importantly, saw Pride to what turned out to be a winning target.

Parnell had two wickets for 33 runs, and Gordon, two wickets for 41 runs for the Scorpions.

The tournament continues with a double-header on Saturday when Leeward Islands face West Indies Academy at Queen’s Park Oval and Guyana Harpy Eagles meet Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in a day-night contest. The games are scheduled to begin at 9:00am and 1:00pm respectively.

After the Risers chose to field first, after winning the toss, the powerful Kings batting line-up continued their excellent form so far in the tournament by posting a formidable 139-4 off their 10 overs.

Royal, a former West Indies Under-19 player and current member of the St. Lucia Kings CPL franchise, was the chief scorer for the Kings with 45 off just 17 balls, including four fours and three sixes.

Lewis, a current member of the Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL, was also in belligerent form with an 18-ball 41, including one four and five sixes, including four in one over off left-arm wrist-spinner Dennis Bulli.

West Indies Test vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood contributed 28 while Andre McCarthy made 17.

Left-arm spinner Warren Campbell was the most economical bowler for the Risers with 1-14 off his two overs.

Despite fighting knocks from Sadique Henry (58 not out) and Delbert Gayle (40 not out), the target of 140 was just too much for the Risers as they finished 109-2 off their 10 overs, 30 runs short of the Kings.

Henry’s innings came off 37 balls and included six fours and four sixes, while Gayle’s knock came off 16 balls and included four fours and three sixes.

Andre Dennis was the pick of the Kings bowlers with 2-15 from his two overs.

Blackwood scored 104, his first century in five years as he an Alzarri Joseph, who produced a career-best 86, put on an outstanding 155-run seventh-wicket partnership that was more than half the West Indies total of 247.

Despite the heavy loss of an innings and 134 runs, the 29-year-old middle order batsman said he was happy to have been able to score a century for his team. In 32 Tests, Blackwood has been dismissed in the 90s on three separate occasions. In October 2015, he was out for 92 against Sri Lanka. Against Pakistan he was dismissed for 95 in October 2016 and this past summer, in July he was out for 95 against England.

On Saturday, he said, he was ready to go all the way.

“This time it was less pressure. I felt less pressure this time around when I was in the 90s. I was more confident in myself that I could get the job done, and to be able to score a hundred for myself and my team, it’s a very good feeling,” Blackwood said after the match, adding that he put the necessary work it to be able to achieve this milestone.

“I worked hard and I trusted my preparation because I think my preparation was good leading into the series.”

He thanked the West Indies coaching staff whom he said helped him prepare for the conditions that confronted him when the West Indies went into bat after New Zealand had made 519 for 7 on a green pitch at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

“(They) kept feeding me a lot of short balls, good length deliveries. You can see out in the middle I am more comfortable to the short stuff as well so it’s a good sign going forward,” he said.

He said he was not intimidated by the nature of the pitch as he was used to similar type of pitches back home in Jamaica.

“I play on a lot of bouncy tracks at Sabina Park, so to come and see this green track it didn’t faze me too much,” he said.

“I just think to stay positive, the right frame of mind, try to play the ball as late as possible, watch the ball and play each ball on its merit.”

The Risers won the toss and elected to field, bowling brilliantly to restrict an extremely dangerous Kings batting line-up to 96-7 off their 10 overs.

The Kings were struggling at 63-6 at one point before a vital 33 not out from St. Lucia Kings representative Jeavor Royal propelled them to 96.

Royal’s innings came off 20 balls and included one four and two sixes.

West Indies batsman and Kings captain Jermaine Blackwood contributed 19 against Powell (2-14 off two overs) and Warren Campbell (2-18 off two overs) who were the best bowlers for the Risers.

The Risers then batted sensibly throughout their reply to successfully chase their target, reaching 97-4 off 9.3 overs.

Henry (32) and Delbert Gayle (24) were the main contributors to the successful chase.

The Risers are still at the top of the points standings with 11 points despite suffering their second straight defeat, while victory for the Risers takes them off the bottom of the table with six points.

Bangladesh carried on from their overnight 50-2 to reach 245 all out off 90.5 overs thanks to Captain Shakib Al Hasan who got his second fifty in the match with 63 and wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan who got 64. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy earlier got 42.

Roach, who now has 249 Test wickets, was brilliant for the hosts with 5-53 off 24.5 overs while Alzarri Joseph and Kyle Mayers supported well with 3-55 from 19 overs and 2-30 from 13 overs, respectively.

The hosts, needing 84 to win, got off to a terrible start and were 9-3 after four overs, losing captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Nkrumah Bonner, and Raymon Reifer in quick succession.

Opener John Campbell (28 not out) and vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood (17 not out) then combined to ensure the hosts lost no more wickets, ending the day 49-3 off 15 overs, needing a further 35 runs for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Khaled Ahmed took all three wickets for Bangladesh.

Scores in the match so far, the Scorpions, 385, and the Hurricanes, 227 and 134-4.

The Scorpions, batting first, posted the competitive total thanks to Jermaine Blackwood’s 98 and Denis Smith’s 84.

In reply, only Montcin Hodge, 52, and Terance Ward, 65, made it to landmarks while Amir Jangoo scored 35 before he was run out.

Patrick Harty was the pick of the Scorpions bowling, bagging 4-43 on the way to restricting the Hurricanes to just 227.

Batting a second time and facing a deficit of 158, the Hurricanes made a fight of it but were pegged back by Nicholas Gordon’s 2-44.

That fight came mostly from the bat of Kieran Powell, who scored 54 before Gordon had him caught by Smith.

1-37 from Harty and 1-27 from Pete Salmon left the Hurricanes 24 runs short with just six second-innings wickets still intact.

The Hurricanes could bat for a long time tomorrow and end the match in a stalemate, as Jahmar Hamilton, 12, and Ward, 20, have hunkered down.

The Scorpions, on the other hand, will look to get rid of these six wickets as soon as possible and set to the task of overhauling what they hope will be a very small target. They currently lead by 24 runs.

Lasith Embuldeniya 5-35 and Man-of-the-Series Ramesh Mendis 5-66 bamboozled the West Indies, which had gone to lunch at 65-2 after facing 30.4 overs in the pre-lunch session. However, on the resumption, the Caribbean men lost their remaining eight wickets for 67 runs.

Nkrumah Bonner made 44 in another defiant performance.

After Kraigg Brathwaite was dismissed for six with the score on 15, Bonner and Jermaine Blackwood had mounted a partnership of 50 runs without much drama until Blackwood was out on the stroke of lunch for 36.

After lunch, Shai Hope (16) and Kemar Roach (13) were the only batsmen to make double figures as the Sri Lankan spinners cut through the lineup that offered little resistance as the West Indies were all out in 25.3 overs after the interval.

Resuming after lunch at 65-2, Hope and Bonner had taken the score to 92 when Mendis took three wickets - Hope, Roston Chase (0) and Kyle Mayers (0) - in the 44^th over.

Holder (3) and Bonner followed shortly thereafter as the West Indies slipped further from 92-5 to 108-7 before Roach and Joshua da Silva, who remained unbeaten on four, attempted to mount another lower-order stand. However, when Roach became Embuldeniya's fourth victim at 128, it did not take long for Sri Lanka to wrap up the innings as Mendis claimed Veerasammy Permaul for one and Embuldeniya delivered the final rites when he dismissed Jomel Warrican for three.

Earlier, Sri Lanka had resumed from their overnight score of 328-8 with Man of the Match Dhananjaya de Silva on 153 and Embuldeniya on 25. The pair extended the ninth-wicket partnership of 107 to 126 before Embuldeniya was bowled by Jason Holder for 39.

De Silva remained not out on 155 as Sri Lanka declared at 345-9.

Holder finished with figures of 1-26. Veerasammy Permaul, who had eight wickets in the match, took 3-106 and Roston Chase 2-82.

Sri Lanka won the first Test by 187 runs.

Resuming on 196 for 6 following on after being bowled out for 138 in their first innings, the West Indies showed some fight with a 155-run seventh wicket partnership between Jermaine Blackwood and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph. However, once Joseph was dismissed for a career-best 86, the West Indies fell away to inevitable defeat.

Blackwood scored only his second Test century (104) in one of the few bright moments for the West Indies. His was the eighth wicket to fall as the home side closed in for the kill.

Afterwards, a frustrated captain, held nothing back.

“We just weren't good enough. We passed the bat quite a few times but credit to Kane, he made us toil,” said Holder who tried to find a few positives to highlight.

“We still had some positive stuff with our bowling unit. Our batting wasn't good enough. I have to congratulate Blackwood and Joseph for their innings. But quite frankly our top order needs to do better.

“We're still scratching our heads. Our preparations have been good. We had two solid warm up games and although the surface was different, I think we need to show better application up top.”

Holder said the team had to find solutions to the problems plaguing the team that has now lost three of their last four Test matches.

“We need answers and we need ‘em quickly,” Holder said while revealing that the West Indies will be without the services of their most experienced bowler for the remainder of the tour and the possible loss of his wicketkeeper through injury.”

“Kemar pushed through this Test match but he'll be going home to be with his family now. Shane, we're not quite sure about the extent of his hand injury. Looking pretty doubtful for the second Test. As I said to the other guys, it's time to deliver and stop talking. We've talked a lot and we've promised a lot. Now it's time to look ourselves in the mirror and fight. We've thrown in the towel too easily. We need to change that.”

Resuming from their overnight score of 52-5, in reply to the West Indies' mammoth first innings total of 517, Zimbabwe XI were bowled out for 122.

Timycen Maruma, who was on 15 overnight was eventually dismissed by Motie for 37 while Milton Shumba, who was on nine added only four before he was bowled by Gabriel for 13.

Tafadzwa Tsiga scored an unbeaten 21 and number-11 batter Faraz Akram added 19 managing to get the score past 100 after Zimbabwe XI had slumped to 87-9.

Joseph took 2-12, while Motie returned figures of 2-24. Gabriel, who is returning from an extended break because of injury, finished with 2-21.

Choosing not to enforce a follow-on, West Indies opened with Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Raymon Reifer, in an apparent bid to provide time in the middle for other batters in the squad. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored an unbeaten 116 in the West Indies first innings.

However, Reifer failed to take advantage of the opportunity when he got out caught behind off Akram's bowling for one having faced four balls.

Nkrumah Bonner’s poor run of form continued when he was dismissed caught behind off the bowling of William Mashinge for a mere 13.

Chanderpaul, who made 46 in the West Indies first innings, retired not out on 23. Meanwhile, Jermaine Blackwood, who only managed 17 in the West Indies first innings was unbeaten on 34 with Jason Holder not out on two at the other end as the match approaches its fourth and final day.

Akram has 1-4 from his four overs while Mashinge has so far taken 1-6 from the three overs he bowled.

When play resumes on Monday, Tagenarine Chanderpaul will carry on from 24 and Jermaine Blackwood 20. They and their fellow batters will have to produce something extraordinary of the West Indies are to avoid being swept 2-0 in the series that has so far been a lop-sided affair.

On Sunday, the West Indies resumed from their overnight score of 229-5 with Alick Athanaze on 37 and Jason Holder on 11. Athanaze did not add to his overnight score, trapped lbw by Munesh Kumar. Holder added four when Mohammed Siraj had him caught behind for 15.

There was little resistance after that as Siraj tore through the lower order to end with figures of 5-60. Kumar took 2-48 while Ravindra Jadeja had 2-37 as the West Indies folded for 255.

With a commanding lead of 183 runs, India propelled by half-centuries from Rohit Sharma, who made 57 and Ishan Kishan 52 not out, raced to 181-2 declared in just 24 overs.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal added 38 and Shubman Gill was unbeaten on 29 when the declaration came.

Jomel Warrican, who dismissed Jaiswal, took 1-36 while Shannon Gabriel took the wicket of Sharma to end with 1-33.

Chasing an unlikely target of 365, the West Indies were in trouble early as Ravichandran Ashwin, who has terrorized the West Indies batters during the series dismissed Brathwaite for 28 and Kirk McKenzie for a duck.

Chanderpaul and Blackwood have so far added 32 for the third wicket and will need to add much more on Monday, if the West Indies are to have any chance of surviving the final two days without crumbling to yet another humiliating defeat.

The West Indies pulled off an improbable win on Sunday’s final day of the first Test at Chattogram. Set a target of 395, the West Indies achieved pulled off the win thanks largely to a remarkable undefeated 210 from Kyle Mayers and obdurate knock of 86 from Nkrumah Bonner.

It was an incredible turnaround for the Caribbean men who trailed by 171 runs on the first innings after Bangladesh scored 430 and the West Indies replied with 259.

Simmons believes that the West Indies can use the performance in the match as an inspiration to do even better starting Wednesday.

“Every time you win it’s more important that you look at ways to improve, and that’s the way we are going to look at it,” said Simmons in a pre-Test press conference today.

“Yes, you’ve done things well but how do you improve on that? We have to make sure we improve in all aspects. We were not 100 per cent in all aspects. We still can do better with the ball. We still can limit them; instead of 400, you can limit them to 300-something.

“There are more than one thing to improve on and that is what we are going to focus on; how do we improve on the performance at Chattogram.”

The former Test opener said among the lessons the players need to take away from the match is that they need to trust in their own abilities.

“I will highlight the partnership in the first innings between (Jermaine) Blackwood and (Joshua) Da Silva where there was a lot of pressure put on us in that partnership and they trusted themselves and they came out of it,” Simmons said, in reference to the sixth-wicket partnership between the two batsmen that rescued the West Indies from 153 for 5 and allowed them to get to their first innings total of 259.

The partnership was significant considering that the West Indies lost their last five wickets for just six runs in 23 balls after Da Silva got out.

The coach then referred to the match-winning partnership between Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner.

“There was a lot of pressure put on Mayers and Bonner for a period when they had to trust their ability. They had to believe in themselves and I think that is the biggest takeaway from this, that in the times of challenges, they trusted their ability and they fought through it,” Simmons said.

“We had to grind through it we did that.”

Blackwood made scores of 22 and 55 in the first Test that the West Indies won by one wicket chasing a relatively modest total of 168 on a tricky pitch in Kingston. During a press conference on Wednesday, the Jamaican urged his teammates to apply themselves better in the final Test in the Betway series between the two teams.

“Once we go out there and play some hard cricket, I don’t see why we can’t beat Pakistan,” Blackwood told members of the media.

“In the last game you saw some bits of application, so once we can go out there and bat for longer periods I don’t see why we can’t win the series because the bowlers have always done an awesome job for us.”

Asked about the batsmen’s shot selection, which oftentimes sees them getting out to injudicious stroke play, Blackwood, who was dismissed in the first innings playing an attacking shot, agreed that better shot selection would help the batters produce better scores.

“I think once can get down to ball selection and select the right balls to score and which ones to leave and defend that will be much better for us,” he said while defending his own aggression.

He said his plan when he gets to the crease is to face 150 balls or more but in the second innings when he scored 55 from 78 balls he got out pushing at one outside his off stump.

“I am an aggressive batsman and I am always going to be aggressive but once I can curb it a little bit I don’t think my team will kill me for that because as you saw in the last game in the fourth innings on that pitch if I didn’t go out there and get that aggressive I think would be talking about something different today.”

He said, however, that the batting coach Monty Desai has been urging him to be patient, choose the right balls and stay in the moment, as he would love to see him score a double century.

SunThe match will be held on March 8-11 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) ahead of the two-Test matches which will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. Several members of the West Indies Test team that beat Bangladesh in the recent series have been included among the players named while other recent Test squad players will be participating in the CGI Insurance ODI Series from March 10-14.

“The ‘Best v Best’ game is firstly part of our preparation for the Test series against Sri Lanka. It gives the players who performed well in the last West Indies Championship an opportunity to showcase their skills, playing against each other, which we expect to be very competitive and put forward a case for themselves. It is a chance to raise their stock and show what they can do,” said Chief Selector Roger Harper.

“The Test series win in Bangladesh was a real joy to watch. The results were brilliant, but it was the passion, the application and the determination, as well as the team spirit that were exactly what we wanted to see.

“It was most encouraging to see everyone pulling together and working hard for each other and enjoying each other’s success. I think the team performed much better than many people thought they were capable of doing. I am really looking forward to seeing the team move forward and build from here.”

Below are the squads for the Best v Best match.

SQUAD A: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Shamarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Derval Green, Keon Harding, Shimron Hetmyer, Kavem Hodge, Paul Palmer jr, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieran Powell, Preston McSween and Jayden Seales.

SQUAD B: Roston Chase (captain), Sunil Ambris, Nkrumah Bonner, Jermaine Blackwood, John Campbell, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Imran Khan, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Raymon Reifer, Nial Smith, Jomel Warrican.

Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel have been rested for this match due to their workload management.

The Volcanoes started day two 157-2 off 41 overs trailing the Scorpions by just two runs and looking to build a substantial first innings lead on Thursday.

The pair at the crease for the Windwards, Johann Jeremiah and Sunil Ambris, carried the score up to 180 in the 52^nd over before Ambris was dismissed by Peat Salmon for a 75-ball 45.

The Scorpions then built some much-needed momentum going into the lunch break with the wickets of Jeremiah, Shadrack Descarte and Tevyn Walcott leaving the Volcanoes 219-6 at lunch, leading by 60 runs.

Jeremiah, who entered day two unbeaten on 66, eventually made 80 off 115 balls including 11 fours and a six while Descarte and Walcott made one and 20, respectively.

The post-lunch session, however, was anything but fruitful for the Scorpions as Shamar Springer and Ryan John, the pair who did most of the damage with the ball in the Scorpions first innings, repeated their exploits with the bat.

The pair batted excellently on their way to a 118-run seventh-wicket partnership that killed all the momentum the Scorpions may have built before lunch.

The partnership was finally ended when John went caught off the bowling of Gordon Bryan for 57 to leave the Windwards 328-7 off 97 overs at tea.

His knock lasted 85 balls and included five fours and three sixes.

Shortly after the resumption, Springer was next to fall for a well-compiled 131-ball 71 including seven fours.

Shermon Lewis and Darius Martin fell soon after as the Volcanoes were bowled out for 341 off 105.2 overs, a lead of 182 runs on first innings.

Pacer Gordon Bryan led the way with the ball for the hosts with 4-64 from 23 overs while Peat Salmon took 3-78 from 31 overs with his off-spin. Marquino Mindley also chipped in with 2-60 from 22.2 overs.

The Scorpions reply then got off to a less than ideal start as, for the second time in the contest, their top three failed to significantly contribute.

Carlos Brown and Kirk McKenzie both fell to Darius Martin in the second over of the innings without troubling the scorers before, seven overs later, the Scorpions were three down with just 34 runs on the board after Chadwick Walton was bowled by Martin for 20.

Nkrumah Bonner and Captain Jermaine Blackwood then tried to lead the Scorpions recovery with a 36-run fourth-wicket partnership before Blackwood went for 16 with just 15 minutes left in the day’s play.

In the end, the Scorpions were 76-4 at stumps, trailing by 106 runs with Nkrumah Bonner on 36 and Gordon Bryan on one.

Darius Martin has taken 3-29 off seven overs for the Volcanoes.

Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 159 all out off 41 overs (Romaine Morris 35, Peat Salmon 26, Ryan John 5-43, Shamar Springer 3-53) & 76-4 off 18 overs (Nkrumah Bonner 36*, Chadwick Walton 20, Darius Martin 3-29)

Windward Islands Volcanoes 341 all out off 105.2 overs (Johann Jeremiah 80, Shamar Springer 71, Ryan John 57, Sunil Ambris 45, Gordon Bryan 4-64, Peat Salmon 3-78, Marquino Mindley 2-60)