Morris’s half-century highlights Scorpions-Pride day one
WICKET-KEEPER-BATSMAN ROMAINE Morris came agonisingly close to scoring his maiden first-class century for the Jamaica Scorpions during Day One action in the West Indies Championship clash against the Barbados Pride at Sabina Park yesterday.
Morris faced 126 balls and hit 10 fours and three sixes in scoring an unbeaten 97 as the Scorpions, asked to take first strike, posted 269 all-out despite a five-wicket haul for left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican.
The Barbados Pride will resume today’s second day on 15 without loss, still trailing by 254 runs in the first innings.
On what has been described as a batting surface, Morris’s innings came at a time when the Scorpions, having squandered a formidable start at 85 for two, were in a spot of bother at 113 for five.
After the Scorpions lost veteran Chadwick Walton for five, opener Carlos Brown and Kirk McKenzie added 75 runs for the second wicket before Brown fell to pacer Jair McAllistar for a well-played 40, which included seven fours.
FIVE FOURS
McKenzie was also l ooking good on 40, but a rash shot off Warrican saw him heading back to the pavilion after facing 79 balls and hitting five fours.
Warrican kept probing and snared the wickets of Leroy Lugg (13) and captain Jermaine Blackwood (18) to peg back the Scorpions, who also lost Abhijai Mansingh for five to pacer Shaquille Cumberbatch.
Peat Salmon stuck around with Morris, and the pair added 46 runs for the seventh wicket before Salmon fell for 24 at 234 for seven.
All this time Morris looked untroubled, stroking the ball to all parts of the ground. He had one blemish when he was put down in the deep in the 30s, but the lefthander didn’t look back, getting into the 90s before he ran out of partners.
Last man Ojay Shields, seemingly unwilling to stick around for Morris, made a mighty heave and was bowled by Warrican for a duck.
Warrican finished with five wickets for 62 runs while McAllister bagged three for 69 for the Pride, who batted out the remainder of the day with Zachary McCaskie not out on 13 and captain Kraigg Brathwaite on one.
Over at Basseterre in St Kitts, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes were 105 for one in reply to the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force’s 137 all out.
The Red Force innings was wrecked by pacer Jeremiah St Louis, 3-38, Colin Archibald’s 3-28, and two wickets apiece from Daniel Doram, 2-38, and Rahkeem Cornwall, 2-5. Jyd Goolie topscored for the Red Force with 30.
In reply, an unbeaten 54 from discarded West Indies opener Kieran Powell and 32 from Mikyle Louis helped the Leewards to a strong position heading into Day Two.
Over at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, the West Indies Academy, on 96-4, trail the Guyana Harpy Eagles by 79 runs in the first innings after the latter were bowled out for 175.
There were a number of starts for the Harpy Eagles, with Ronaldo Mohamed’s 30 not out being the best of the lot against Joshua James’ 4-43. There were also two wickets apiece for Joshua Bishop and Johann Layne.
Rashawn Worrell on 34 and Bishop on 33 have steered the West Indies Academy to a steady response against the 4-32 from Kevin Sinclair.