FOLLOWING Jamaica Scorpions’ fifth-place finish in the recently concluded West Indies Championship, Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr Donovan Bennett says he’s unhappy with the team’s performances but doesn’t expect major improvements in the near future.

The Scorpions ended the regional four-day competition last Friday with a five-wicket defeat to Combined Campuses and Colleges. The loss meant that the Jamaicans finished with a record of three wins and four losses, garnering 86.4 points to finish behind champions Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Leeward Islands.

While their 2025 showing was an improvement to their 2024 outing during which they finished seventh in the eight-team table with just two wins and 59.4 points, Bennett says he’s far from pleased with the Scorpions’ efforts.

“I don’t think we are where we should be,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “I’m not happy with the inconsistency but I guess having moved up the table is a start in the right direction. But, we certainly need to do more rebuilding so we can have better results next year.”

West Indies Head Coach Daren Sammy has been monitoring the competition as he selects his first Test squad this summer for the Australia series in the Caribbean.

Despite decent individual performances from the Scorpions squad, including from the batsman Javelle Glen and bowler Marquino Mindley, who finished in the top 10 of their respective disciplines, Bennett doesn’t foresee Sammy having many Jamaicans in his plans for July.

“I honestly don’t think so. Like I said before, I don’t think the performances have been consistent enough or significant enough to warrant possibilities of selection at this time,” he said.

“I expect Brandon King to be considered for selection. I also expect the captain [John Campbell] to be considered for selection but I really, at this point in time, can’t honestly see anybody else being seriously considered.”

Bennett, who took over as president last April, brought in Robert Haynes as head coach to replace Andrew Richardson, as part of his plans to improve Jamaica’s level in regional cricket. However, he says success is unlikely in the short term due to poor planning in the past.

“This improvement isn’t going to happen overnight,” he said. “We’ve started an under-13 programme, so we’re building from below upwards. I’d be happy but I don’t expect any tremendous improvements to take place overnight — it’s going to take time. We have to start from the bottom and build upwards.

“Our cricket has been neglected for quite a number of years, and I don’t expect any significant or eye-catching results are going to happen overnight. We have to be patient, we have to build from below, and the expectation cannot be over a 12-month period.”

Although the Scorpions won’t be in action until the Super 50 later this year, Jamaica will take part in the West Indies Breakout T20 league which runs from April 25 to May 10.

Jamaica Scorpions’ Marquino Mindley bowls during the third day of their West Indies Championship match against Guyana Harpy Eagles at Sabina Park on Friday, March 7. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)