Coaches had nothing but praise for the host venue of the West Indies Championship cricket match between Jamaica Scorpions and Barbados Pride at Chedwin Park from April 12-15.

Players from both teams excelled in a thrilling match that ended inside the final hour of play on the last day, with the Scorpions emerging the victors by seven wickets at the tree-lined ground, the home of St Catherine Cricket Club.

Ryan Hinds, the assistant to Barbados Pride head coach Vasbert Drakes, said favourable conditions for cricket — most notably the pitch which offered a gripping battle between bat and ball despite a few balls shooting low — was the main ingredient in the tasty spectacle.

“I want to congratulate the management of St Catherine Cricket Club and Jamaica Cricket Association for getting this facility ready, and the hospitality was great,” he said during a post-match interview.

Jamaica Scorpions head coach Robert Haynes also gave Chedwin Park high marks.

“I have to give the St Catherine Cricket Club and the ground staff a lot of credit. It was a beautiful game, it was entertaining, and when you have batting against bowling like this it augurs well for West Indies cricket,” said Haynes.

The Pride had first strike and racked up 348 before the Scorpions compiled a relatively patient 342 in reply. Batting a second time, the visitors made 317-8 declared to set the Scorpions an improbable 324 runs for victory in just under two and a half sessions.

The Scorpions defied the odds to attain victory at 326-3 with a handful of overs to spare after the left-hand opening pair of John Campbell and Kirk McKenzie struck scintillating centuries in a 242-run stand.

However, there were others who performed remarkably to add to the showpiece.

Barbados Pride batsman Kevin Wickham was arguably the most outstanding performer of them all, scoring majestic knocks of 153 and 108 not out in the match. His second-innings effort brought him his fifth first class century and his third at Chedwin Park after reaching three figures at the St Catherine-based venue two years ago against Combined Campuses and Colleges.

The bowlers also had their say in the latest installment of the Jamaica versus Barbados cricket rivalry.

Barbados left-arm finger spinner Jomel Warrican claimed 5-71 and 1-60, while Jamaica pacer Marquino Mindley 4-32 and 3-48.

Hinds, though admitting disappointment his side lost, set his attention on the wider picture.

“I want to commend both teams for putting up a really good fight. In [four] innings we had teams scoring in excess of 300 runs — how often have you seen that in a first class game?”

He added: “Yes, we are disappointed but at the end of the day it’s all about West Indies cricket — that’s the most important thing. I must say well done to the Jamaica team [because] after losing first innings [advantage] by six runs, and then to chase a target like that on a last day — very well done.”

Reflecting on the Pride’s effort on the last day, Hinds said they could have bowled a tighter line and length with the new ball.

“We tried to be proactive but when you look at how the guys [Campbell and McKenzie] started… and they paced the innings very well. We tried different angles,different scenarios, different bowling combinations. If it’s one thing youcould say we could have done better was how he utilised the new ball. I thinkwe could have been sharper, more disciplined in that regard,” said the Barbadosassistant coach.

Haynes said the gauntlet has been thrown down as he tries to return the Jamaica team to the formidable force it once was in regional first class cricket.

“I’m trying to change the culture of Jamaica cricket, to let people understand that we are not just a one-day team. We are a good cricket team, we have some good players and these players can become great players but to become great players you have to produce, you have to get into the West Indies set-up.

“The mindset is what’s most important for us — we are trying to work on the mental part of the cricket and a lot of it showed in this game with [the players’] temperament,” said the Scorpions head coach.

The teams are scheduled to play the second and third matches of the three-match bilateral series at Sabina Park in Kingston from April 19-22 and April 26-29, respectively.

Barbados Pride batsman Kevin Wickham strikes the ball in the West Indies Championship cricket match against Jamaica Scorpions at Chedwin Park on Sunday. Also pictured are Scorpions slip fielder John Campbell (partly obscured) and wicketkeeper Romaine Morris. Photo: Naphtali Junior

HAYNES… it was a beautiful game, it was entertaining, and when you have batting against bowling like this it augurs well for West Indies cricket Photo: Garfield Robinson

Jamaica Scorpions batsman Kirk McKenzie celebrates scoring a hundred versus Barbados Pride in the West Indies Championship first class cricket match at Chedwin Park on Wednesday. Photo: Garfield Robinson