WINDWARD Islands Volcanoes displayed headstrong application, batting throughout the opening day to close on 314-5 against hosts Jamaica Scorpions in the regional four-day cricket match at Sabina Park.

Emmanuel Stewart and left-hander Keron Cottoy, unbeaten on 46 and 29, respectively, are the batsmen set to resume on today’s second day.

Yesterday, blessed with brilliant sunshine throughout, was highlighted by solid knocks from the visiting side on a pitch that was good for batting.

The 26-year-old Volcanoes batsman Kavem Hodge, who entered at the fall of the first wicket, hit a well-crafted 88, while veteran former West Indies player Devon Smith made 77, his 60th first-class half-century.

The Scorpions medium pacer Derval Green was the pick of the bowlers, capturing 3-58 from 20 overs.

Score: Volcanoes 314-5 (90 overs)

Jamaica Scorpions won the toss yesterday morning and opted to bowl first on a pitch covered with a tinge of live grass.

They might have had visions of exploiting the green surface, but were undermined by sloppy fielding, and bowling which lacked consistency and incisiveness.

The home side put down at least three chances in the morning session, and the Volcanoes scored freely, before Desron Maloney (26) fended a catch to Paul Palmer at gully off pacer Nicholson Gordon with the score on 43.

However, that was the only breakthrough in the first session as the 38-year-old Smith, and Hodge carried them to the lunch break at 94-1.

The pair continued to milk the bowling in the post-lunch session, hardly bothered by the Scorpions’ lacklustre effort. Specialist spinners Jamie Merchant and left-armer Patrick Harty were underwhelming, finishing the day with figures of 0-58 and 0-52, respectively.

Pacer Marquino Mindley breathed some life into the fielding side when, bowling from around the wicket, he got a delivery to shape into Smith. The ball beat the left-hander’s tentative defensive push to rattle the stumps. Smith’s knock, which spanned 152 deliveries, included nine boundaries.

The Smith and Hodge partnership valued 130 runs for the second wicket.

The Volcanoes marched to 206-2 at tea, but thereafter the Scorpions appeared a rejuvenated side.

The 31-year-old Green, who typically gets appreciable away swing from the right-hand batsmen, was the main architect, claiming three wickets in relatively short time.

Kirk Edwards went tamely, casually dabbing his bat at an innocuous delivery wide of off stump to feather a catch to wicketkeeper Aldaine Thomas.

West Indies batsman Sunil Ambris did not hang around for long.

After crunching a back-foot slash behind point for four off Green, he attempted a similar shot off the very next delivery and only succeeded in giving Thomas catching practice behind the stumps.

Hodge was next, falling 12 runs short of a third first-class hundred when he inside-edged a Green delivery onto the stumps. He spanked 12 fours from 171 balls.

At that time the Scorpions appeared in the ascendancy, however, Stewart and Cottoy were largely unbothered while sharing in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 72.