Jamaica Scorpions pacer Derval Green says the match is evenly poised after the hosts mounted a late afternoon fightback against West Indies Academy at Sabina Park in Kingston on Wednesday.

At the close, the Scorpions were 20 without loss in reply to the academy team’s 324 all out.

The Scorpions openers Carlos Brown and left-hander Kirk McKenzie are both not out on 10.

For the academy outfit, the 17-year-old debutant Joshua Dorne, who played for the West Indies team at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, was largely untroubled during his top-score of 83.

The 35-year-old Green, who will be on a hat-trick if he bowls in the second innings, and fellow pacer Ojay Shields took three wickets each.

Scores: WI Academy 324 (82 ovs); Scorpions 20-0 (6 ovs)

Green said the Scorpions did well to dismiss West Indies Academy inside the opening day after they were in apparent cruise control at 241-4 early in the final session.

“I thought that getting all 10 wickets on the day made it even,” he told journalists at close of play.

“It’s a fair total based on how the wicket is playing. It’s obviously a good wicket to bat on… it has no devil in it. I thought the West Indies Academy team made good use of it.”

While the Scorpions bowling was not at its sharpest — a total of 34 fours and 10 sixes were struck in the academy team’s innings — Green said a lot of the runs scored were down to the placid nature of the pitch.

“Looking on people would say it’s bad deliveries some of them, but I’d say it’s a good wicket to bat on. It’s not like there has been steep bounce or lateral movement or a lot of spin and bounce and stuff like that. The wicket is just playing true,” he explained.

Dorne, who admitted to being nervous at the start of his first-class debut, was satisfied with the academy team’s position.

“From the start I was looking to be positive, and trying to capitalise on the loose deliveries. I thought it was a good innings. It’s a very good batting pitch… there’s something in it for both pace and spin but a fairly flat pitch,” he said.

“I think it’s a good total on the first day… looking on the stats from previous games played here, there have not been many occasions that 300 runs have been scored on the first day,” the teenager added.

Brandon King, captaining the Scorpions in his first match of the season after returning from West Indies and franchise cricket duties, chose to bowl first despite including only two specialist pacers in the team.

The academy openers Kadeem Alleyne and Rashawn Worrell added 44 runs for the first wicket before the latter was dismissed by off spinner Peat Salmon for 25.

That brought Dorne to partner Alleyne with a decent platform to build on.

The pair scored at a frenetic pace for the remainder of the first session, as Alleyne, in particular, made merry in a 77-run stand. The 23-year-old Alleyne targeted Salmon, hitting three sixes in an over from the tall spinner.

But Alleyne’s enterprising, 64-ball 52 ended on the stroke of lunch when he was trapped leg before wicket by Shields as the visitors entered the break on 121-2.

After the interval, Teddy Bishop (14) nudged Green’s away swinging delivery to be caught at gully by McKenzie.

Dorne was graceful in his stroke play, favouring wristy drives square of the wicket while tallying 12 fours and a six from 133 deliveries.

But the right hander appeared edgy as he approached a century on debut and eventually gloved an attempted sweep off left-arm finger spinner Jeavor Royal, with wicketkeeper Romaine Morris taking the catch with the score on 197-4.

Wrist spinner Abhijai Mansingh triggered the Scorpions comeback in the final session when he dismissed both Carlon Bowen-Tuckett (24) and Captain Nyeem Young (0) with the score on 241.

The 28-year-old Shields, who bowled with plenty of pace and aggression, then accounted for Joshua Bishop (14) and Jamaican left-hander Jordan Johnson (61).

Johnson, another member of the regional side which featured at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, was typically confident — his first scoring shot was a lofted hit for six over wide long off — in a 127-ball innings.

Johnson, who turns 19 next month, was earlier reprieved on 26 when out-of-favour West Indies player Jermaine Blackwood, the man King replaced as the Scorpions skipper, put down a sharp catch at slip off Salmon’s bowling.

The under-pressure Blackwood, yet to get going with the bat this season, had earlier put down Dorne — who was on 73 — also off the luckless Salmon.

The burly Joshua James blasted four sixes in a spirited 26-ball 36 to boost the West Indies Academy lower order before Green had him top-edging to wicketkeeper Morris.

Green also dismissed last man Johann Layne (0) with the very next delivery to end the innings.

West Indies Test batsman McKenzie and Brown negotiated what could have been a tricky six overs to carry the Scorpions safely to the close.