Jamaica Scorpions shrugged off the absence of ace left-arm finger spinner Nikita Miller to peg back Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, and seize the upper hand on the opening day of the sixth-round regional four-day match at Sabina Park.

The Scorpions part-time off-spinner John Campbell did well in the quest to fill Miller’s shoes. The 24-year-old claimed 4-40 from 17 overs and five balls as the Red Force were bowled out for 243 yesterday.

The short-in-stature medium pacer Derval Green, 29, who ignited the Red Force batting collapse after they were 167-2, captured 4-45 from 19 overs.

The major Red Force resistance came from left-hand opener Jeremy Solozano, who made a patient 62, and middle-order batsman Ewart Nicholson, who contributed a stroke-filled 50.

At the close, the Scorpions were 16 without loss, still 227 runs behind the visitors. Left-hand openers Campbell and Trevon Griffith— the latter who survived a dropped chance off spinner Bryan Charles’ bowling when on one — are unbeaten on 14 and two, respectively.

Scores: Red Force 243 (82.5 ovs); Scorpions 16-0 (5 ovs).

Earlier, it appeared life without Captain Miller — who tallied an astounding 23 wickets in his last two four-day matches before being summoned for West Indies duty — would have been very difficult for the Scorpions given the positive start by the Red Force.

After winning the toss and deciding to take first strike on a pitch that looked good for batting, the Red Force bounded to 50 without loss inside 12 overs thanks to Solozano and his left-hand partner Amir Jangoo.

The introduction of wrist spinner Damion Jacobs brought a change as the Red Force openers began to look less assured. And the wicket fell soon after when the spinner trapped the enterprising Jangoo (39) leg before wicket with the score on 71.

Left-hander Yannic Cariah (14) was also positive, but he went for one big shot too many in his short innings and was dismissed by Campbell with Scorpions’ stand-in skipper Paul Palmer running back at cover to take a composed catch as the ball came over his shoulder.

A 73-run stand between Solozano and Nicholson followed as the Red Force reinforced the good start.

After the lunch break the aggressive Nicholson attacked Jacobs, sweeping for six and then crunching a cover drive off the next ball.

Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen was welcomed into the bowling attack by the rampaging Nicholson with a sweetly timed launch over mid-on for six.

But Nicholson chased a wide, full-pitched delivery from Green and nicked a straightforward catch to wicketkeeper Aldane Thomas. His even 50 came off 65 deliveries and included four fours and two sixes.

With the addition of eight runs, The Red Force slipped to 175-4 as Captain Denesh Ramdin (six) went to the Green-Thomas combination, but this time the wicketkeeper had to dive to his right to take a very good, low catch.

Green dismissed the 22-year-old Solozano and then sensationally uprooted the middle stump of Roshon Primus with a full-pitched delivery that tailed back into the right hander.

The hard-working pacer, who got the ball to move both ways, could have grabbed five wickets in the innings, but gully fielder Trevon Griffith put down a tough chance offered by batsman Tion Webster.

However, fast bowler Odean Smith, 21, was able to enjoy a milestone on regional four-day debut. He was gifted his maiden wicket when Imran Khan (five) wafted at a short, wide delivery and feathered a catch to the diving Thomas behind the stumps.

In reply, the Scorpions just about held on without losing a wicket as the Red Force actively hunted the breakthrough.

Scoreboard

RED FORCE 1st Innings

+A Jangoo lbw b Jacobs 39

J Solozano c King b Green 62

Y Cariah c Palmer b Campbell 14

E Nicholson c wkpr Thomas b Green 50

*D Ramdin c wkpr Thomas b Green 6

T Webster c Jacobs b Campbell 29

R Primus b Green 8

I Khan c wkpr Thomas b Smith 5

K Pierre b Campbell 12

D St Clair c Leveridge b Campbell 8

B Charles not out 2

Extras (lb2, w3, nb3) 8

TOTAL (all out, 82.5 overs) 243

Fall of wickets: 1-71, 2-94, 3-167, 4-175, 5-176,

6-190, 7-216, 8-224, 9-232

Bowling: Green 19-5-45-4 (nb1, w1); Leveridge

8-0-29-0 (w1); Smith 8.1-2-22-1 (nb1, w1);

Campbell 17.5-8-40-4; Jacobs 27-4-90-1 (nb1);

Allen 2-0-12-0; King 0.5-0-3-0

SCORPIONS 1st Innings

J Campbell not out 14

T Griffith not out 2

TOTAL (without loss, 5 overs) 16

A Fudadin, B King, *P Palmer, F Allen, +A Thomas,

D Green, D Jacobs, O Smith, R Leveridge yet to bat

Bowling: Primus 1-1-0-0; St Clair 1-0-9-0; Charles

2-0-6-0; Khan 1-0-1-0

Position: Scorpions trail by 227 with all first innings

wickets standing

Toss: Red Force

Umpires: J Williams, G Brathwaite (Barbados)

Match Referee: D Hayles

Reserve Umpire: R Samuels