JAMAICA Scorpions medium pacer Derval Green has been a key cog in a bowling line-up that has not always fired on all cylinders in this season’s regional four-day competition.

The 29-year-old, playing his second season of first-class cricket, has grabbed wickets at crucial moments for the Scorpions when they have struggled for breakthroughs, and he has grown into one of the team’s main bowling threats.

He took 4-63 in the first innings away to defending champions Guyana Jaguars in a losing cause in the season opener when the team was short of bowling options due to players being out on West Indies ‘A’ duty and lack of fitness.

The Westmoreland native, who plays locally for Kingston Cricket Club, has had arguably his best outing of the first-class season with first-innings figures of 4-45 in a draw at home to Trinidad and Tobago Red Force earlier this month.

The former St Elizabeth Technical High School student was accurate, swung the ball both ways, and showed great patience on a Sabina Park pitch that was good for batting.

“It was a good performance due to the kind of wicket that was there. It wasn’t an easy kind of wicket that would usually assist a fast bowler. It was more of a wicket assisting batters… I had to really stick to my guns and bowl in some good areas, as I’ve been doing all season and it paid dividends,” Green told the Jamaica Observer recently.

“Naturally, I have a good outswinger to the right-hander which is an inswinger to the left-hander, so I utilised that to the right-handers as much as possible because I remembered how I’ve got some of them out before. I had to bowl inswingers because I didn’t want to be too predictable. In that sense, I think it paid off with the areas that I bowled,” he explained.

Green is the Scorpions’ second leading wicket-taker so far, accounting for 20 victims in seven matches at an average of 28.05. Only the incomparable left-arm finger spinner Nikita Miller has taken more for the Jamaican franchise.

The Scorpions captain missed the first three games of the season while recuperating from a medical procedure, but took an astounding 23 wickets in two matches upon his return. He was then called to the West Indies limited-overs squad to face hosts New Zealand and missed another two games, leaving Green to shoulder much of the bowling responsibility.

Green is gleeful with how the season has gone from an individual standpoint, even if team results have been disappointing at times.

“I’m pleased with the success, yes, but I’m happier with the maturity in my bowling. I know once I continue on this path it will basically reap greater things in the future. It’s about analysing my game better and sticking to my guns, which is about bowling in certain areas and being consistent. Ultimately, I also want to help push the team up the points table,” he said.

The Scorpions, with three draws, two wins and as many losses, are fourth in the six-franchise league with 71.4 points. The unbeaten Jaguars, who have impressively managed five outright victories, lead the pack with 118 points, while Barbados Pride are second (75.2). The Red Force (71.6) are third, ahead of Leeward Islands Hurricanes (61), and Windward Islands Volcanoes (52.2).

The Scorpions’ next game is slated for Sabina Park against the Jaguars, starting Thursday. In simultaneous eighth-round fixtures, the Red Force host the Hurricanes and the Pride entertain the Volcanoes.