KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Champion left-arm spinner Nikita Miller snatched his 24th five-wicket haul in first class cricket to fire Jamaica Scorpions to a stunning come-from-behind 41-run victory over hapless Windward Islands Volcanoes here Monday.
With the visitors set a mere 106 to win at Sabina Park, captain Miller scythed through their innings with five for 22 to send them tumbling for 64 all out on the final day of the second round game in the Regional Four-Day Championship, that saw 18 wickets fall.
He was well supported by leg-spinner Damion Jacobs who finished with three for 17, as Scorpions picked up their first win of the season following their defeat to Guyana Jaguars in Georgetown last week.
For Volcanoes, it was their second straight loss, coming on the backs of their nine-wicket defeat to Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in Port of Spain in the last round.
No such result for Scorpions seemed possible when they slumped from their overnight 92 for two to 159 all out, with opener John Campbell top-scoring with 67 and Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood getting 27.
The pair extended their overnight third wicket partnership to 46 before being separated, when Blackwood departed in the day’s sixth over after adding 11 to his overnight score.
His dismissal triggered a terminal decline for Scorpions as they lost their last seven wickets for just 31 runs in quick time, as 21-year-old left-arm spinner Larry Edward picked up career-best figures of six for 20.
Campbell, unbeaten on 43 overnight, completed his seventh first class half-century, striking six fours off 141 balls in three hours at the crease.
Then, what should have been a straightforward run chase quickly turned into a nightmare for Volcanoes as they lost wickets steadily, with only opener Devon Smith (19) and all-rounder Kyle Mayers (15 not out) reaching double figures.
Scorpions claimed 16.2 points while Volcanoes picked up 5.2.
