KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Fast bowler Chemar Holder stunned Jamaica Scorpions with a devastating five-wicket haul to turn the page on a sub-par Barbados Pride batting display, and put the visitors in control of their third round contest at Sabina Park here yesterday.
On a day when 16 wickets tumbled, Pride folded cheaply for 219 in their first innings despite contrasting half-centuries from opener Shayne Moseley (64) and lower order batsman Kyle Mayers (53).
Fast bowler Marquino Mindley spearheaded his side’s attack, snatching four for 31 while West Indies white-ball all-rounder Rovman Powell claimed three for 65 with his medium pace.
In reply, Scorpions were taken apart by a hostile seven-over spell from Holder, who finished with five for 21, as they tumbled to 53 for six at the close – 166 runs adrift of their target.
Captain and Test opener John Campbell has so top-scored with 25 but no other Scorpions batsman managed to make it out of single digits.
There was little indication of the pending carnage when the left-handed Campbell clobbered two fours and a six in putting on 26 for the first wicket with Oraine Williams (3).
But once Williams wafted at a wide one from Holder in the sixth over and edged a catch behind, Scorpions’ innings collapsed as six wickets went down for 27 runs.
West Indies batsman Brandon King dragged on a drive at Holder and lost his middle stump for three before Jermaine Blackwood (1) turned a delivery from the same bowler into short leg’s lap.
Holder then produced perhaps the delivery of the day when he got one to lift and leave Campbell, for Jonathan Carter at third slip to complete the catch at 39 for four.
Test seamer Kemar Roach then bowled Nkrumah Bonner through the gate without scoring before Holder completed his five-wicket haul – his third in first class cricket – off the day’s final ball when he got Powell to drive loosely to cover.
Earlier, Pride looked on course for a competitive total when they reached 166 for four but lost their last six wickets for 53 runs.
Moseley, who faced 127 balls and struck six fours and a six, put on 52 for the first wicket with captain Kraigg Brathwaite (25) before adding a further 47 for the third wicket with Carter (11).
When Moseley followed 27 balls later with just 15 runs added, Pride were wobbling on 118 for four. However, the left-handed Mayers led the fightback in a counter-attacking knock, posting 48 for the fifth wicket with Test wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich (14) and 30 for the sixth with Ashley Nurse (17).
Mayers, with a hundred and a half-century in his four previous innings, faced 61 balls and struck eight fours and a six before he was sixth out – holing out to deep backward point off Powell.