Scorpions’ spinners sting Hurricanes
Nikita Miller and Damion Jacobs produced further evidence that spin remains the undoing of Leeward Islands Hurricanes’ batsmen when they bowled Jamaica Scorpions to a 157-run victory in the Regional 4-Day Championship yesterday.
Left-arm spinner Miller bagged 5-31 from 20 overs, ending with match figures of 10-87, and legspinner Jacobs collected 3-65 from 19.4 overs, as the Hurricanes were bowled out for 144 in their second innings on the final day of their fourth-round match at Warner Park.
West Indies ‘A’ Team opener Montcin Hodge and rookie Terence Warde led the way with 30 apiece, former Scorpions’ wicketkeeper/batsman and parttime medium-fast bowler Devon Thomas made 25 and Hurricanes captain Rahkeem Cornwall added 23.
Miller, playing his first match of the season, following an off-season medical procedure, and Jacobs, a member of the West Indies ‘A’ Team in their recent home series against Sri Lanka ‘A’, again emphasised their value to the Scorpions.
It was the eighth time that Miller has taken 10 wickets or more in a Regional 4-Day match, making him a shoo-in for the Player of the Match award, and reinforced his place at the top of the list of the most successful bowlers in the modern era of the West Indies first-class championship (1966 onwards) with 434 scalps.
MADE A MESS
Jacobs ended the match with figures of 6-100 and formalised the result about 50 minutes before the scheduled tea break, when he trapped Sheeno Berridge lbw for a duck, as the Hurricanes made a mess of chasing 302 for victory.
Scorpions – fifth in the standings on 18.2 points prior to the match – earned 18.4 points comprising 12 for victory, three batting points, three bowling points and 0.4 pace bowling points. Hurricanes – previous third on 38.6 – gained just six from three bowling points, one batting point plus two pace bowling points.
With the entire day to bat, the Hurricanes started the chase knowing they were one batsman short, after former West Indies Under-19 World Cup 2016 Final hero Keacy Carty was diagnosed with a fractured right hand.
They knew they were under further pressure, when they reached lunch on 95 for four with the cream of their batting out of the way, and Miller and Jacobs with their tails up.