Robert Haynes, head coach of the Jamaica Scorpions, is urging his team to “get things right” as they take on West Indies Academy in the fifth-round regional first-class match at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.

The four-day encounter is scheduled to begin this morning at 9:00 (Jamaica time).

The Scorpions have hit a snag since defeating Windward Islands Volcanoes in the opening round, losing to Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Barbados Pride and defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles. The Scorpions are sixth in the eight-team league table with 35.6 points.

The youthful West Indies Academy, without a win in their four outings, are last with 19.8 points.

Harpy Eagles (81.2) and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (77.8), who are both unbeaten so far, are first and second, respectively. The Pride are third with 73 points, followed by the fourth-placed Hurricanes (54.4), the fifth-placed Volcanoes (42) and seventh-placed Combined Campuses and Colleges (20.6).

“We have to go back to the drawing board to make sure we get things right,” Haynes told the Jamaica Observer after watching his team fall to the Harpy Eagles by 214 runs at Sabina Park in Kingston last week.

He lamented that there have been instances during their three consecutive losses when the Scorpions have been in seemingly comfortable positions when batting only to suffer crippling meltdowns.

“What is disturbing is that the batters are getting themselves in and then throwing away their wickets. It’s something we have been talking about all season — whenever the fielding team backs off and the pressure is off, that’s when we seem to be giving it away.

“We [batsmen] can’t be making 20s and 30s and throwing it away because [players on other teams] are cashing in,” the veteran coach explained.

Haynes insisted the team has the quality to bounce back from the losing slump.

“I don’t think the [players] are really down… they are disappointed, just like the coaching staff.

“We just have to work on the mistakes we made in the game,” he said.

The Scorpions welcome the return of captain and marquee top-order batsman John Campbell, who missed the encounter against the Harpy Eagles due to a groin strain. The left-hander, who has scored a hundred and two half-centuries in five innings, leads the team’s scoring with 299 runs.

Pace bowler Gordon Bryan makes way in the squad for Campbell.

The Scorpions bowling has been led by teenage wrist spinner Tamarie Redwood, who has claimed 12 wickets. Marquino Mindley who, in Campbell’s absence, skippered the Scorpions against the Harpy Eagles, and fellow pace bowler Odean Smith, have both taken 11 wickets.

— Sanjay Myers