ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A ragged Jamaica Scorpions slumped to their third defeat in as many games to remain rock bottom of the Super50 Cup standings, after Windward Islands Volcanoes trounced them by 92 runs on Tuesday night.
Indisciplined in the field with three dropped catches and haphazard when they batted, at no stage did Scorpions threaten Volcanoes in the lopsided contest at Coolidge Cricket Ground, further diminishing their chances of a place in the final four of the six-team tournament.
Asked to bowl first, Scorpions watched as Volcanoes racked up 260 for eight off their 50 overs with all-rounder Keron Cottoy top-scoring with a pulsating 64 off 47 deliveries and opener Andre Fletcher stroking 60 from 51 balls at the top of the order.
Volcanoes were 171 for five after 40 overs but Scorpions’ bowlers served up fodder at the back end of the innings and the last 10 overs leaked 89 runs.
In reply, the chaos which typified their bowling seeped into the run chase and Scorpions quickly found themselves floundering on 61 for five in the 15th over.
Andre McCarthy top-scored with a run-a-ball 55 and Fabian Allen chipped in with 39 from 43 balls, but Scorpions were eventually bundled out for 168 in the 37th over, with left-arm spinner Larry Edward finishing with three for 36.
“I thought it was a poor fielding effort. When we put in so much work in training and come and put in that fielding display, it’s always a disappointment,” lamented captain Rovman Powell.
“I think it was three simple catches and if you drop the better batters from the opposing team, you will always find yourselves in problems.”
Desron Maloney was an early casualty for three in the third over but Fletcher struck four fours and three sixes in adding 80 for the second wicket with captain Sunil Ambris who made 28 from 51 deliveries.
When both perished in the space of 12 balls to leave Volcanoes 99 for three in the 20th over, Barbadian Kevin Stoute hit 45 from 65 balls to revive the innings in a 51-run, fourth wicket stand with Emmanuel Stewart (19).
Stoute and Stewart fell in the space of 19 balls with Volcanoes on 161 for five in the 37th but Cottoy punched four fours and five sixes and put on 62 for the sixth with Roland Cato (24) and a further 34 for the seventh with Ryan John (2) to ensure a strong finish for his side.
Powell proved the best bowler, claiming three for 47 with his medium pace.
“I didn’t get much today but I was really pleased to see Keron Cottoy continuing his form,” Ambris said.
“I think he played a really special innings along with Kevin Stoute. I thought he batted really nice.”
Scorpions had a disastrous start, Brandon King (4) taken at the wicket off left-arm pacer Preston McSween in the third over.
And when Aldaine Thomas (15) and Paul Palmer (12) put on 29 before becoming part of a slide that saw four wickets tumble for 22 runs, the innings was in strife.
McCarthy stroked half-dozen fours and a six in a 69-run sixth wicket stand with Allen who clobbered two fours and three sixes as Scorpions tried to claw their way back.
But Allen chipped a catch back to leg-spinner Cottoy in the 27th over and McCarthy followed with 20 runs added, pulling a Ryan John (2-33) full toss to Ambris at short mid-wicket in the 30th over, as the run chase fizzled out.
“It’s still a struggle in the middle order to get some partnerships. Even at top, we need to find a solid pair to start and then myself and the other batters have to get some partnerships going in the middle order,” said Powell.
Scorpions face Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their penultimate game on Friday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.
SCORES
VOLCANOES 260 for eight off 50 overs (Kerron Cottoy 64, Andre Fletcher 60, Kevin Stoute 45, Sunil Ambris 28; Rovman Powell 3-47, Fabian Allen 2-35)
SCORPIONS 168 off 36.4 overs (Andre McCarthy 55, Fabian Allen 39; Larry Edward 3-36, Andre Fletcher 2-3, Ryan John 2-33)
(CMC)