The Jamaica Scorpions batting will again be under the microscope when they take on a high-powered Barbados Pride team at Sabina Park in the 10th round of the West Indies four-day championship.

The contest is scheduled to begin this morning at 10 o’ clock.

The Scorpions, in last place with 82.4 points from eight outings, have largely failed with the bat this season, most recently in the 134-run loss at home to Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the ninth round.

Andrew Richardson, the assistant coach of the Scorpions, noted the team’s apparent incapacity to put together good totals in both innings.

“Our main focus is to try to get our batters to bat longer and express themselves the way they know how to. We didn’t execute our plans in the last game. It’s more mental than technical and hopefully we can get them in the correct frame of mind to execute.

“Every game we have lost this season we have led on first innings. We are definitely putting ourselves in position but we are not closing out the job, and that is something are working on for these last two games. Our bowling is always up to scratch, we just need to get the batting clicking as well,” Richardson said.

The Scorpions have included top-order batsman Garth Garvey due to his red-hot form in local club cricket. There is also a place for crafty pacer Jerome Taylor who is returning from a hamstring tightness.

The Pride, third with 96 points from eight matches, were also defeated last time out, going down by seven wickets in their visit to four-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars.

The Pride coach Emmerson Trotman pointed to weakness in his team’s batting, but they will be boosted by the return of West Indies Test players, including opener Kraigg Brathwaite, middle-order batsman Roston Chase and wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich.

“It’s going to be good game, and obviously we are looking to win the game. We got a few players returning to give us some strength. The boys are pretty confident despite the fact they lost the last game. It’s a very good unit, so I’m looking forward to a good result,” he said.

“Our biggest strength is our bowling; what we need to work on mostly is our batting. They are good enough, they just need to do a bit more thinking and put a bit more discipline behind their batting,” Trotman added.

The Jaguars, who have played nine games, lead the table with 136. The second-placed Hurricanes, with 110.8 points from eight outings, still have a mathematical chance to deny the Guyana franchise a fifth-straight title.

Windward Islands Volcanoes are fourth with 86 points, while Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (85.6) are fifth.

Jamaica Scorpions have only one match remaining after this weekend — a rescheduled clash away to the Red Force, slated for March 14.

Barbados Pride also have a rescheduled game in hand — away to the Hurricanes starting the same day.

Squads: Scorpions — Paul Palmer (captain), Garth Garvey, Kenar Lewis, Brandon King, Jermaine Blackwood, Assad Fudadin, Nkrumah Bonner, Derval Green, Jerome Taylor, Dennis Bulli, Nikita Miller, Akim Fraser, Nicholson Gordon.

Pride — Shamarh Brooks (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Shayne Moseley, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shamar Springer, Chaim Holder, Marquino Mindley, Jomel Warrican, Miguel Cummins, Tevyn Walcott, Keon Harding.