Inconsistent batting hurt Scorpions, laments Miller

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica Scorpions skipper, Nikita Miller, has bemoaned the lack of consistency in his side’s batting which led to their downfall in the Regional Super50 final against Barbados Pride last weekend.

In the semi-finals, Scorpions amassed a record 434 for four off their 50 overs in toppling deposed two-time defending champions Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by a massive 292 runs.

Nikita Miller

However, there was little sign of that dominance in the final as Scorpions could only muster 212, in pursuit of 272 for victory.

“We need to improve our ability to chase a total, however small or large. It’s something we need to work on and we need to be consistent in our batting and to repeat performances,” Miller lamented.

“What happened this tournament is that one game one guy will get some runs, then the other game another guy gets the runs – which is good, but you need guys to be consistent in getting runs so they can improve themselves.”

Scorpions’ inconsistency was reflected in their batting aggregates. Only explosive all-rounder Rovman Powell (356 runs) and wicketkeeper and opener, Chadwick Walton, (350) passed 350, while the next best was Andre McCarthy with 269.

The 23-year-old Powell was the only batsman to shine in both knock-out games, hammering 95 in the semi-final and 65 in the final.

Miller praised both Powell and Walton but pointed out Scorpions had been set back for the final when Antiguan batsman Devon Thomas pulled up injured just hours before the start.

“For the batters Rovman did well and (Jermaine) Blackwood had his best tournament, batting-wise, for Jamaica,” Miller told the Observer newspaper here.

“Chadwick, McCarthy and Devon Thomas did well with the bat. I think it was a big blow for us when Thomas got injured in the early morning [of the final] because he was slated to play and he got injured in the warm-ups.

“If he was in the team we would have done better batting-wise. [Brandon] King, who got injured [early in the tournament], also did well. He was a big loss for us but things happen.”