Robert Haynes, head coach of the Jamaica Scorpions, is urging his crew to “get issues proper” as they tackle West Indies Academy within the fifth-round regional first-class match at Coolidge Cricket Floor in Antigua.
The four-day encounter is scheduled to start this morning at 9:00 (Jamaica time).
The Scorpions have hit a snag since defeating Windward Islands Volcanoes within the opening spherical, shedding to Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Barbados Satisfaction and defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles. The Scorpions are sixth within the eight-team league desk with 35.6 factors.
The youthful West Indies Academy, with out a win of their 4 outings, are final with 19.8 factors.
Harpy Eagles (81.2) and Trinidad and Tobago Purple Power (77.8), who’re each unbeaten thus far, are first and second, respectively. The Satisfaction are third with 73 factors, adopted by the fourth-placed Hurricanes (54.4), the fifth-placed Volcanoes (42) and seventh-placed Mixed Campuses and Faculties (20.6).
“Now we have to return to the drafting board to ensure we get issues proper,” Haynes advised the Jamaica Observer after watching his crew fall to the Harpy Eagles by 214 runs at Sabina Park in Kingston final week.
He lamented that there have been cases throughout their three consecutive losses when the Scorpions have been in seemingly snug positions when batting solely to undergo crippling meltdowns.
“What’s disturbing is that the batters are getting themselves in after which throwing away their wickets. It’s one thing we’ve been speaking about all season — at any time when the fielding crew backs off and the stress is off, that’s once we appear to be giving it away.
“We [batsmen] can’t be making 20s and 30s and throwing it away as a result of [players on other teams] are cashing in,” the veteran coach defined.
Haynes insisted the crew has the standard to bounce again from the shedding hunch.
“I don’t assume the [players] are actually down… they’re disillusioned, similar to the teaching workers.
“We simply must work on the errors we made within the sport,” he mentioned.
The Scorpions welcome the return of captain and marquee top-order batsman John Campbell, who missed the encounter in opposition to the Harpy Eagles attributable to a groin pressure. The left-hander, who has scored 100 and two half-centuries in 5 innings, leads the crew’s scoring with 299 runs.
Tempo bowler Gordon Bryan makes manner within the squad for Campbell.
The Scorpions bowling has been led by teenage wrist spinner Tamarie Redwood, who has claimed 12 wickets. Marquino Mindley who, in Campbell’s absence, skippered the Scorpions in opposition to the Harpy Eagles, and fellow tempo bowler Odean Smith, have each taken 11 wickets.
— Sanjay Myers
