KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – John Campbell and Fabian Allen hit half-centuries, but another destructive spell from Shane Shillingford prevented Jamaica Scorpions from taking a runaway lead against Windward Islands Volcanoes in the Regional 4-Day Championship yesterday.
Campbell has the top score so far of 71 and Allen was not out on 59, as the Scorpions reached 261 for eight, replying to Volcanoes’ first innings total of 200, at the close on the second day of their fifth-round match at Sabina Park.
Discarded Test off-spinner Shillingford however, helped kept the Scorpions’ scoring in check, taking 5-72 from 33 overs, and was head and shoulders above the rest of the Volcanoes’ bowling which was mostly ineffective.
Campbell struck seven fours and three sixes from 79 balls to give the Scorpions early momentum, dominating an opening stand of 96 with fellow left-hander Trevon Griffith.
After Campbell was caught behind off leg-spinner Audy Alexander in the final hour before lunch, there was limited stability from the rest of the Scorpions’ batting until their skipper Nikita Miller, batting at 10, linked up with Allen to share 52 – unbroken – for the ninth wicket.
A few other batsmen got starts without carrying on, led by Trevon Griffith with 37 and Brandon King with 35, but every time it looked a pair of Scorpions batsmen were building a partnership, one of them would throw their hand away.
They reached 135 for three at lunch, after left-hander Assad Fudadin and Guyanese compatriot Griffith gave catches to wicketkeeper Dennis Smith off Kyle Mayers and Shillingford respectively.
The slide continued after the interval and they slumped to 208 for seven, as Shillingford followed up Sherman Lewis’ dismissal of Paul Palmer bowled for five, with the scalps of King, giving Smith his fourth catch behind the stumps, former United States captain Steven Taylor for five and Derval Green for a duck.
After the break, Shillingford added the wicket of Damion Jacobs, but Miller came to the crease and batted through the remainder of the day with Allen, whose 113-ball innings includes seven fours.
Scorpions – fifth in the standings on 36.6 points before the match – have so far gained three bowling points and two batting points, but no pace bowling points, and Volcanoes – previously last on 18.4 points – has so far added one batting point, two bowling points and 0.4 pace bowling points.
