BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Jamaica Scorpions suffered their second loss in three outings after Barbados Pride snatched a dramatic one-wicket win in a compelling low-scoring contest under lights at Kensington Oval here Monday.
Erratic Scorpions could only muster a disappointing 190 all out after they opted to bat first and Pride scraped home with two overs left to notch their third straight win and remain on top of Group B.
The visitors appeared favourites to grab the points when they reduced Pride to 143 for eight in the 38th over with all the leading batsmen already removed.
But the tail wagged with Man-of-the-Match Kemar Roach striking a gutsy 23 off 31 balls in an invaluable 42-run ninth wicket partnership with Ashley Nurse who made an unbeaten 21.
Together, they took Pride to the brink of victory but with six runs required, Roach was held at gully by Damion Jacobs off off-spinner John Campbell, to set up a nerve-wracking end.
Sulieman Benn, who finished unbeaten on two, joined Nurse and together they calmly levelled the scores before the West Indies left-arm spinner pushed speedster Renard Leveridge down the ground for the winning runs, off the last ball of the 48th over.
Shane Dowrich had earlier top-scored with 40 while Roston Chase chipped in with 23 but Pride’s usual batting bluster deserted them and they never came to grips with the tricky run chase.
Once again, former West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor made things difficult by claiming three for 38 from his 10 overs while new ball partner, rookie Renard Leveridge, was outstanding with two for 35 from his 10.
Campbell supported with two for 33 from six overs.
Scorpions had earlier needed Rovman Powell’s aggressive 74 to rebound from the threat of total collapse and get up to their eventual score.
Slumping badly at 97 for six in the 28th over, Scorpions were boosted by Powell’s bravado, as the right-hander smashed three fours and six sixes in a stroke-filled 79-ball knock.
He helped put on 77 for the seventh wicket with Damion Jacobs, whose 31 came from 47 balls and included four fours.
But once Jacobs played across to off-spinner Nurse and was trapped lbw at 174 for seven in the 42nd over, the last four wickets fell for 16 runs – the last three for no addition of runs.
Jermaine Blackwood’s 40 also helped to repair the innings when it slipped to 27 for three in the eighth over, as the Test batsman put on 36 with Andre McCarthy who made a run-a-ball 25.
Captain Jason Holder (3-28) and fellow seamer Roach (3-58) both finished with three wickets apiece while Nurse ended with two for 50.
In reply, Pride lost the prolific Kraigg Brathwaite cheaply in the third over, lbw to Taylor for six with as many on the board and the wickets of opener Anthony Alleyne (12) and Jonathan Carter (5) left the hosts on 41 for three in the 10th over.
Shai Hope’s misery continued when he was lbw to left-arm spinner Nikita Miller for 19 playing back, after he had added 21 for the fourth wicket with Chase.
And Chase followed after he had posted 21 for the fifth wicket with Dowrich, top-edging a cut behind off leg-spinner Jacobs.
At 100 for six in the 25th over, Carlos Brathwaite and Dowrich combined in a 38-run partnership which temporarily calmed fears but once they both perished in the space of nine balls, the game was wide open again.
