SPINNER Patrick Harty claimed four wickets yesterday to pilot Jamaica Scorpions into a strong position in the fifth-round regional four-day match against Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.

Entering the second day’s play in Florence Hall, the Hurricanes are 215-9 with Terance Warde, unbeaten on 53, and number 11 Sheno Berridge, who is on one.

Score: Hurricanes 215-9 (90 overs)

The Hurricanes’ experienced opening batsman Montcin Hodge hit 52, his 29th half century in first-class cricket.

The Scorpions’ slow left-arm orthodox bowler Harty, playing his fifth match at this level, was bizarrely under-utilised in the first half of the day, but finished with 4-41 in sunny and windy conditions on Jamaica’s north western coast.

Earlier, the Hurricanes won the toss and took the decision to bat first on a glossy pitch which evoked memories of the concrete-like surfaces produced at Sabina Park in Kingston decades ago.

Sidelined West Indies left-hand batsman Kieran Powell was the first casualty. The opener missed an in-swinging delivery from pacer Derval Green to go leg before wicket for nine.

Hodge and Devon Thomas added 38 runs for the second wicket to take the visitors to 53 before the latter fell lbw to seamer Nicholson Gordon for 16.

Hodge, who recovered from a scratchy start, and left-hander Amir Jangoo carried them to 70-2 at the lunch break.

However, after the pair shared in a third-wicket stand of 39 runs, off-spinner Peat Salmon sent back Hodge lbw. The 32-year-old batsman struck seven fours off 118 deliveries.

Harty, belatedly introduced into the bowling attack, got among the wickets, accounting for Captain Jahmar Hamilton (seven) and Rahkeem Cornwall (two).

Trinidadian-born Jangoo made a polished 35, but his demise via the run out route left the Hurricanes reeling at 133-6.

And it came in innocuous fashion, a case of miscommunication with Warde leaving the tumbling Jangoo short of his crease when Harty dislodged the bails after receiving a throw from Nkrumah Bonner.

The composed Warde and left-hander Colin Archibald negotiated to the tea interval at 145-6, but upon the resumption the irrepressible Harty struck again. The left-arm spinner found the edge of Archibald’s bat for Jermaine Blackwood to claim the catch at slip. He made six.

It was 174-8 when Harty trapped Jamaican-born Damion Jacobs (10) lbw.

Warde and Nino Henry (15) partnered from 28 runs for the ninth wicket before wrist spinner Bonner got rid of the tail-end batsman.

Warde, while notching his third first-class 50, found another stubborn ally in Berridge, and the two blunted the home side for the remaining five and a half overs in the day.

— Sanjay Myers