PACE bowler Nicholson Gordon is confident that solid work ethic will reap him success if he is selected in the Jamaica Scorpions squad for next month’s Super50 cricket tournament.

Gordon went wicketless in the lone match he played in last season’s regional 50-over competition.

However, he was a standout performer in the four-day championship, which was eventually cut short because of the spread of the novel coronavirus. Though injury sidelined him toward the back end of the season, he finished with 17 wickets at a superb average of 19.47.

“I think I did well, but it’s definitely something I have to build on. I think that once I keep working hard that the results will come,” the 29-year-old Westmoreland native told the Jamaica Observer.

“I’m very eager knowing what happened last year — that was really the stepping stone that I wanted. That was the break I really needed, so it’s for me to continue to do the work,” the pacer said.

“I’m definitely in tip-top shape because I’ve done a lot of work with the squad and personal work as well. I want to get back out there to really try my best to top last season and have an even better one this season,” Gordon, who plays for east Kingston-based Kensington Cricket Club, reiterated.

Up to Wednesday, Jamaica confirmed an overall count of 13,368 coronavirus cases since the outbreak. The nation has also recorded 306 deaths.

Due to health protocols outlined by the Government, there has been no local cricket competition since last March, and the Scorpions, under the guidance of Head Coach Andre Coley, are only allowed to train in small groups. In contrast, a number of territories in the region have staged tournaments in addition to full squad training.

The former West Indies youth player indicated he is not bothered by the setback.

“We have done a lot of physical work over the past months and we have done a lot of game sense scenarios [to replicate match situations]. Because we want to follow health guidelines here, the training is different from what we normally have. But at the end of the day, it is what it is, and we’re just making the best of the situation,” Gordon, who has taken four wickets in five 50-over matches at 33.75, told the Observer.

The Scorpions squad is expected to be named within days.

West Indies Emerging Players, largely comprising young regional cricketers, won the previous Super50 tournament.