In just his first match at this level, Abijhai Mansingh hit his second half-century of the match and led a rearguard action in defiance of another destructive spell from Rahkeem Cornwall to earn Jamaica Scorpions a draw with hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the West Indies Championship on Saturday.
With a very measured and mature approach, Mansingh followed up his first innings 56 with an unbeaten 62 to anchor Scorpions to 200-9 in their second innings, after they were set 268 to win on the final day of their first-round match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG).
Scorecard here: https://www.windiescricket.com/matches/215144/#scorecard
Cornwall grabbed 5-41 from 30 probing overs from the pavilion end. He ended with match figures of 10-95, but he could not find the formula to take the final wicket after Scorpions ran into trouble on 82-5, and Mansingh shared 92 for the sixth wicket with Jamie Merchant to give them a lifeline.
Merchant made 47, opener Kirk McKenzie got 28, and Romaine Morris added 22, but no other batsman reached 20 as Scorpions batted manfully to reach safety.
Earlier, the burly Cornwall made himself a shoo-in for the Player-of-the-Match prize when he hit 85 and powered Hurricanes to 241 in their second innings after they started the day on 198-7.
Cornwall cracked six fours and four sixes from 95 balls and shared 55 with fellow international Hayden Walsh Jr for the eighth wicket to beef up the Hurricanes’ total. The left-handed Walsh made 23 with some sizzling drive through the off-side. The persevering Merchant was Jamaica’s best bowler with 4-43 from 20.5 overs.
In the second round, starting on Wednesday, Hurricanes host Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, and Scorpions play two-time defending champions Barbados Pride, the only side to lose in the first round, at the CCG.