Source: Loop Caribbean
Jamaica Scorpions faltered again in defense of their CG United Super50 Cup title as they fell to a fourth straight loss in the 2023 tournament.
The 2022 champions, who beat Trinidad and Tobago by three wickets in the finals last year, lost to the Combined Campuses and Colleges by 121 runs (DLS Method) on Friday at the Queen’s Park Oval.
Jamaica has lost to the Leeward Islands, Barbados, and the West Indies Academy in their nightmare run in 2023.
Their latest loss to the CCC leaves Jamaica needing wins in all three of their remaining matches to even have a chance of making it to the semifinals.
The defending champions’ latest loss began with the CCC piling up 320 for 7 in 48 overs in a rain-affected first innings.
Demario Richards top-scored with 71 while Johann Jeremiah (56) and Kadeem Alleyne (51) got half-centuries.
Odean Smith took 3 for 28 while Brad Barnes had 1 for 44 in his 10 overs, the only bright sparks in an otherwise miserable day for the Jamaica bowlers.
Chasing a revised target of 320 in 48 overs, Jamaica lost Jermaine Blackwood (22) early before Chadwick Walton and Kirk McKenzie started a repair job.
Walton (50) got to his 10th List a half-century before falling the next ball attempting a paddle sweep.
CCC off-spinner Romario Greaves then accounted for the wickets of Nkrumah Bonner (0) and skipper Rovman Powell (2) to leave Jamaica tottering at 90 or 4.
With CCC employing leg-spinner Abhijai Mansingh and left-arm orthodox spinner Akshaya Persaud in tandem, Jamaica crumbled to 198 all out despite stroke-filled innings from Odean Smith (35) and Barnes (31).
Greaves took career-best figures of 4 for 51, while Mansingh (2/55) and Persaud (2/25) shared four wickets.
Youthful pacer Isai Thorne (2/35) closed out the victory when he got Shalome Parnell caught behind for 4.
Jamaica needs to win their remaining matches against the Windward Islands (29 October), T&T Red Force (2 November), and Guyana Harpy Eagles (4 November) to have a chance of moving into the semifinals.
The Combined Campuses and Colleges have a difficult assignment against Barbados in their next match on 31 October at ST Augustine.
On Saturday, Trinidad and Tobago will face West Indies Academy at the Queen’s Park Oval.