KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Opener John Campbell’s half-century averted disaster for Jamaica Scorpions but they remained in trouble against a fired-up Barbados Pride on a rain-affected second day of their third round game in the Regional Four-Day Championship here Saturday.
When rain – which forced the abandonment of Friday’s opening day – ended play just after tea, the hosts were still wobbling on 157 for eight but it represented a huge turnaround from a precarious position of 52 for five in the morning session.
The left-handed Campbell led the recovery, stroking a top score of 60 while tail-ender Damion Jacobs weighed in with a valuable 30 and Andre McCarthy, 22.
All told, the West Indies A player struck five boundaries off 142 balls in a knock spanning 3-1/4 hours.
Off-spinner Kenroy Williams picked up two for 16 and was joined by seamers Kemar Roach (2-24) and Justin Greaves (2-40) who also finished with two wickets apiece.
Sent in at Sabina Park, Scorpions made a horrific start when they found themselves four down inside the first hour with just 28 runs on the board.
In the day’s first over, Shacaya Thomas fell for two, edging Roach to Shamarh Brooks at second slip at four for one and in the following over, Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood was snared at third slip by Roston Chase off Greaves, without scoring.
Greaves trapped Antiguan Devon Thomas leg before wicket for three in the sixth over before Roach removed Chadwick Walton to a catch at the wicket for five in the following over.
Campbell then steadied the innings by adding 31 for the fifth wicket with McCarthy who faced 41 balls in just over an hour at the crease before finding Brooks at backward point off left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, in the third over prior to lunch.
Debutant Fabian Allen made a breezy 25-ball 19 with four fours in a 38-run, sixth wicket stand with Campbell which took Scorpions to lunch on 70 for five.
But Allen perished in the eighth over following the resumption leaving Campbell to mount another partnership, this time putting on 39 for the seventh wicket with Jacobs who counted three fours in a 94-ball knock.
Campbell was eventually removed when he popped a catch to Omar Phillips at silly point off Williams, to be seventh out at 129.
