NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Jamaica Scorpions were closing in on a comprehensive victory over Leeward Islands Hurricanes, following Jermaine Blackwood’s monumental 248 on the penultimate day of their eighth round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship.
Resuming yesterday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on 413 for four in their first innings, Scorpions piled up 561 for nine declared to carve out a massive lead of 301 runs.
Unbeaten on a career-best 196 at the start, Blackwood reached the first-ever double century of his career with a square drive for four off the fourth ball of the morning’s first over from pacer Kian Pemberton.
All told, the right-hander faced 332 balls in eight hours and 22 minutes, striking 33 fours and two sixes.
His knock was the second highest for Jamaica in the last 54 years and the seventh highest overall in the history of the championship.
Captain John Campbell, unbeaten on 105 at the start, made 112 while number nine Jamie Merchant chipped in with unbeaten 50.
Tasked with batting to save the contest, Hurricanes ended the day on 134 for six – still requiring a further 167 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Opener Montcin Hodge was holding the innings together in an unbeaten 60 which has so far consumed 179 deliveries, just shy of 3-¾ hours and included nine fours.
He put on 37 for the first wicket with Kieran Powell (17), another 38 for the second wicket with Ross Powell (19) and has so far added 38 in an unbroken seventh wicket stand with West Indies leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr (18 not out).
Following his heroics with the bat, Merchant returned to take three for 12 with his off-spin while seamer Derval Green claimed two for 49.
Blackwood and Campbell had earlier extended their record fifth wicket stand to 219 before they were finally separated.
Campbell, who faced 160 balls in 223 minutes and counted six fours and four sixes, was first to depart in the morning’s third over, when he bizarrely tried to paddle sweep Pemberton (2-110) and scooped a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton.
Blackwood then anchored a series of small partnerships before he was eighth out, two runs shy of equalling Marlon Samuels’s record 250, caught in the deep trying to clear the long on boundary with off-spinner Terrance Warde.
Merchant inflicted further pain on the Hurricanes, lashing two fours and four sixes in a 51-ball knock before Scorpions eventually declared their innings in the ninth over after lunch.
Test fast bowler Alzarri Joseph claimed three for 130 while new-ball partner Jeremiah Louis ended with two for 115.
At 75 for one just after tea, Hurricanes seemed up for the fight in their second innings but Merchant and Green ripped through the top order in the final session to send five wickets tumbling for 21 runs.
