KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Off-spinner Pete Salmon says he will not be carried away by his superb seven-wicket haul on debut last week, stressing he still had much to learn in his first class career.
The 27-year-old produced the fireworks in the second innings against champions Guyana Jaguars as he helped fire Jamaica Scorpions to their maiden success of the first class season with a narrow seven-run victory at the National Stadium in Georgetown on Sunday.
“There is still a long way to go in the season, and I want to continue to work hard and don’t get ahead of myself too much,” Salmon told the Gleaner newspaper on his return here.
Salmon had an unflattering start when he finished the first innings with a single wicket – that of opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul – as Jaguars perished for 190 to earn a three-run lead on first innings.
However, it was in the second innings that Salmon came to the forefront. With the hosts chasing a modest 182 for victory on the penultimate day, the right-armer produced a magical spell of seven for 57 to send them tumbling for 174.
Jaguars were cruising on 49 for one but Salmon scythed through the innings accounting for both openers Chanderpaul and Chandrapaul Hemraj, along with the Windies trio of Vishaul Singh, Chris Barnwell and Raymon Reifer, to leave the innings in ruins at 155 for nine at the close. “I knew I had to take responsibility from the start, because most of the Guyana top-order batters are left-handers,” Salmon pointed out. “I knew once I got the ball in the right areas, I knew I could do some damage.”
The victory was a crucial one for Scorpions who had gone winless in the three previous rounds, as if lifted them off the bottom of the standings. Also, the win was their first against Jaguars in the Professional Cricket League era and only their third over their rivals in the modern history of the first class championship.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that I was able to contribute to the team’s first win of the season and I could not have asked for a better start to my career,” Salmon said. Scorpions host Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their fifth round fixture starting tomorrow at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium on Jamaica’s northwest coast.
