KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – Andre McCarthy and Brandon King stroked half-centuries while leg-spinner Damion Jacobs struck twice late to put Jamaica Scorpions in control on the opening day of their Regional Four-Day Championship game against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force here yesterday.Opting to bat at Sabina Park in the fourth round contest, Scorpions rattled up 314 in their first innings with McCarthy top-scoring with 82 and King getting 78.
Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood chipped in with 34 while opener John Campbell scored 33.
Fast bowler Roshon Primus bowled superbly to finish with three for 32 while left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell (2-42) and leg-spinner Imran Khan (2-74) picked up two wickets apiece.
In reply, Red Force seemed to be making a strong finish to the day at 35 without loss before they lost two wickets with no addition to the score.
Jacobs removed opener left-hander Isaiah Rajah to a catch at the wicket for nine and then trapped nightwatchman Marlon Richards lbw first ball, to leave Red Force tottering.
Earlier, West Indies A batsman McCarthy underpinned two partnerships that proved the bedrock of the innings.
The right-hander put on 61 for the third wicket with Blackwood before adding a further 139 for the fourth wicket with King.
All told, McCarthy faced 137 balls in just under 3-1/2 hours at the crease and counted five fours and six sixes in his fourth first class half-century while Blackwood struck two fours and a six in a 58-ball knock.
King, meanwhile, notched his second first half half-century, hammering ten fours and three sixes off just 87 balls.
Primus was excellent up front, accounting for both openers, before returning to claim Blackwood to a catch at the wicket.
SCORPIONS 1st Innings
J Campbell c Hope b Primus 33
S Thomas c wkp Katwaroo b Primus 11
J Blackwood c wkpr Katwaroo b Primus 34
A McCarthy lbw b Mohammed 82
B King c Cariah b Cottrell 78
+D Thomas c Ottley b Cottrell 7
R Powell b Mohammed 1
D Jacobs lbw b Imran Khan 25
*N Miller c wkp Katwaroo b Imran Khan 11
D Green c wkp Katwaroo b Richards 9
R Leveridge not out 0
Extras (b12, lb2, w2, nb7) 23
TOTAL (all out, 78.4 overs) 314
Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-56, 3-117, 4-256, 5-265, 6-268, 7-269, 8-299, 9-310, 10-314.
Bowling: Cottrell 13-4-42-2 (w1, nb1), Richards 11.4-2-47-1, Primus 9-3-32-3 (w1, nb3), Jagessar 9-0-64-0 (nb1), Imran Khan 22-5-74-2, Ottley 6-1-25-0, Mohammed 8-2-16-2.
RED FORCE 1st innings
K Hope not out 15
I Rajah c wkp Thomas b Jacobs 9
M Richards lbw b Jacobs 0
Extras (b4, nb2, pen5) 11
TOTAL (2 wkts, 5.2 overs) 35
To bat: J Mohammed, Y Cariah, *Y Ottley, +S Katwaroo, R Primus, Imran Khan, J Jagessar, S Cottrell.
Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-35.
Bowling: Leveridge 2-0-4-0, Green 1-0-13-0, Jacobs 1.2-0-7-2, Miller 1-0-2-0.
Position: Red Force trail by 279 runs with eight wickets intact.