Scorpions eyeing final four after whipping Marooners

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Jamaica Scorpions trained their sights on a semi-final spot after they thrashed Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners by 44 runs here Sunday, to move into second spot in Group B of the Regional Super50 competition.

Opting to bat first at Kensington Oval, Scorpions produced a disappointing performance and were dismissed for 204 off 45.2 overs, despite Jermaine Blackwood and Andre McCarthy both getting 51.

Man-of-the-Match and Scorpions captain Nikita Miller claimed three wickets to hurt CCC Marooners innings.

Off-spinner Vikash Mohan (3-42) and Mark Deyal (3-43) snatched three wickets each while fast bowlers Keon Harding (2-34) and Jermaine Levy (2-34) grabbed two wickets apiece.

In reply, Marooners threatened briefly at 53 for one in the 12th over before losing their last nine wickets for 107 runs to collapse to 160 all out off 41.3 overs.

Man-of-the-Match Nikita Miller proved the trump card, taking three for 12 from nine overs while seamer Rovman Powell supported with two for 32. Cassius Burton top-scored with 28 and opener Amir Jangoo got 24 but the remainder of the batting failed to spark, leaving Marooners with their fourth defeat.

Scorpions are on 14 points, 14 adrift of leaders Barbados Pride who have already qualified for the semi-finals, while Marooners are one from bottom on nine points. Chasing a precious win, Scorpions found themselves in trouble early when they lost openers Chadwick Walton (4) and Steven Taylor (21) to slump to 26 for two in the ninth over.

Walton nicked Levy to captain Jamal Smith at first slip in the eighth over and the left-handed Taylor followed three deliveries later in the next over when he bundled a hook at Harding and was caught by wicketkeeper Jangoo. Blackwood and McCarthy then rescued the innings in an 83-run, third wicket stand which pushed Scorpions past the 100-run mark.

The right-handed Blackwood faced 79 balls and struck five fours and a six while McCarthy produced an identical boundary count in a breezy 54-ball knock.

Once McCarthy departed in the 25th over, however, the innings slumped again with six wickets falling for 42 runs to leave Scorpions on 151 for eight in the 36th.

They then needed Jerome Taylor’s cameo 41 off 39 deliveries with two fours and three sixes in order to get up to their eventual total.

Marooners’ run chase received an early blow when Mohan missed a full length delivery and was lbw to Taylor for four, off the final delivery of the opening over with just six runs on the board.

But Jangoo helped settle the innings, adding 47 for the second wicket with Kyle Corbin who made 18.

The left-handed Jangoo had faced 32 balls and counted four fours when he edged a defensive push at Powell and was taken at the wicket in the 12th over.

In the very next over, Corbin was run out as four quick wickets fell for 28 runs, to leave Marooners stumbling on 81 for five in the 19th over.

Burton, who faced 39 balls and hit two fours and a six, found an ally in Deyal (21) to add 43 for the sixth wicket and breathe new life into the run chase.

With the partnership threatening, Miller intervened to trap Deyal lbw playing back in the 27th over, and the breakthrough was what Scorpions needed as the last five wickets fell for 36 runs.