Jamaica Franchise captain Tamar Lambert said Jamaica has been posting inconsistent totals over the past two seasons due to the loss of senior players such as former West Indies opener Brenton Parchment.
The 32-year-old Parchment, who three years ago was one of Jamaica’s top batsmen – as the team copped a fifth straight regional title – was one of several senior batsmen who were overlooked by the new Wavell Hinds-led national selection panel last season.
Others include fellow West Indies discards Xavier Marshall, Danza Hyatt and Simon Jackson.
“I can’t pinpoint what exactly is the problem,” said Lambert of their batting.
He went on to add: “We have lost some senior players, especially opener Brenton Parchment, who was positive at the top.
“He normally gets us off to a good start. Now we have youngsters opening and a lack of experience up there.”
Jamaica, who missed out on the regional four-day crown to Barbados for the past two seasons, struggled to post huge totals and had to largely depend on their middle to lower order batters to win or save games.
This trend continued last weekend, when solid lower order knocks of 57 not out spinner Nikita Miller and 43 from debutant fast bowler Marquino Mindley resulted in Jamaica rallying to post 208 in their second innings against the Windwards Franchise.
The middle and lower order, however, did not respond in the second innings and with the top order continuing to struggle, the team was bowled out for 162.
Opener Shacaya Thomas, who scored two and one, was the biggest failure among Jamaica’s top-four batsmen during the encounter.
The others were his opening partner, Jon-Ross Campbell, who made 46 and 15 Nkrumah Bonner, zero and 41 and Jermaine Blackwood, who contributed 22 and zero.
Jamaica, thanks largely to a second innings seven-wicket haul from leg-spinner Damion Jacobs, recovered to beat the Windwards, 110 and 247, by 13 runs.
“They (young batsmen) have it in them and have to start believing and start to deliver,” Lambert noted.
“We can’t come year-in, year-out and we find ourselves 10 for three, 30 for four and so forth.
“This puts a lot of pressure on other batsmen in the middle order as we can’t get to play our natural game.
“It is a work in progress, yes, but at the end of the day we have to clamp down on this,” Lambert said.
Having made one change to their 13-member squad, Jamaica left the country yesterday for their second game in Barbados, starting tomorrow.
Fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who had requested time off to deal with personal matters during the Windwards clash, replaces Jason Dawes, who was left out of the first game.
