Barbados Pride captain Shamarh Brooks is elated with his team’s astonishing victory over Jamaica Scorpions on the penultimate day of their second round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship last Saturday.
The hosts snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when they overcame the Scorpions by 41 runs after giving them a mere 107 runs to win in their second innings.
An atmosphere of gloom surrounding the ground when Scorpions openers John Campbell and Chadwick Walton rushed to 24 in the fourth over of the run chase but Test fast bowler Miguel Cummins claimed four for 19 and Test left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, four for 27, to send the visitors crashing to 65 all out.
Warrican, in his first match following his return from West Indies duty in Bangladesh, finished with match figures of 12 for 116.
The left-handed Campbell top-scored with 19 and Andre McCarthy (14) was the only other batsman to reach double figures.
“This victory was a very big one for us especially coming from behind. We were behind the eight ball, at the start of the game but it just showed the character of the team,” Brooks told Barbados Today.
“I have said before we have a very inexperienced team but we came together as a unit despite the trying conditions and we came out on top. I am very happy. I just hope that the guy will take this victory and used it as an inspiration for the rest of the season.”
Pride suffered a disappointing defeat to Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the opening round last week at the same venue, after their batting also struggled.
And while Pride managed scores of 167 and 187 in the contest, Brooks said the second innings effort after being led on first innings had been commendable.
“We did not start this game on the right foot, after being bowled out for 167 in our first innings and giving the Scorpions a lead of 81 runs over us,” Brooks explained.
“Credit must go to Kraigg Brathwaite (37), Shayne Moseley (48), young Aaron Jones (31) and Hayden Walsh (36) for the way they batted in the second innings. Even though none of them made a big score, the runs they made were vital to us.
“I am extremely happy over the way Jones batted on Saturday. He is still a very young player at this level [but] I thought he showed a lot of character in the way he batted. Jonathan (Carter) also scored a well compiled half century in the first innings.”
However, with no Pride batsman managing a big score in either of the two rounds, Brooks said his side’s batting remained an area of concern.
“I guess at the end of the day we still have to look at our batting,” he pointed out.
“The pitch we played on in the second match against the Scorpions was quite different from the one in the first game against the Hurricanes. There was a lot more in it for spinners and with a guy like Nikita Miller who has over 500 first class wickets in their team, batting against the them was always going to be a challenge.
“He and Warrican were able to exploit the conditions of the pitch. Be that as it may, I still think we have to work on our batting.”
The tournament will break for the Christmas holidays and return with the third round when Barbados hosts four-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars at Kensington Oval from January 4-7.
Pride are current second on 22.6 points, behind Jaguars on 37 who have won both their opening matches.
“I am looking forward to the rest of the matches. There is a break coming up and after the season starts back in January, we will have more of our international players returning to the team and I guess that should make a difference in the big clash against Guyana,” Brooks said.
The post Brooks elated with Pride victory appeared first on Barbados Today.
from Barbados Today https://ift.tt/2CiD5dM
via IFTTT https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
No comments: