Though Barbados Pride held the upper hand on the opening day of the third-round West Indies Championship first-class match, Jamaica Scorpions all-rounder Brad Barnes exuded an optimistic tone at the close.

When play ended on Sunday at Sabina Park, Barbados Pride were 346-5 in their first innings, with Roston Chase on a run-a-ball 82 not out and wicketkeeper Leniko Boucher on 40 from 46 deliveries.

Off-spinner Barnes, who was the pick of the Scorpions bowlers, with 2-56, told the Jamaica Observer that the hosts remain in contention.

“I’m very confident in our batting — the big scores aren’t there to show, apart from the two openers (John Campbell and Kirk McKenzie), but I think we have been batting well as a team, so I believe that whatever they [the Pride] post, we can get it,” the 28-year-old said.

While acknowledging that the Pride were able to score too easily on yet another batting paradise in this three-match series, Barnes was pleased with his output.

“I think they scored a bit too freely, we should’ve bowled tighter to bring down the run rate a bit. We should have built up more pressure and taken more wickets,” he noted.

“It’s a tough wicket to bowl on, very batting friendly, but I think I handled myself pretty well,” Barnes added.

Jonathan Drakes who top-scored for the Pride with 94, was pleased with his team’s position entering day two.

“I think it’s a solid platform — the goal is to win the match and I think we are well on course to achieving all our goals. So we have to continue along those lines and get as big a [total] as possible,” he told the Observer.

Reflecting on his dismissal on the cusp of what would have been a fourth first-class hundred, he noted it was poor shot selection that led to him being stumped.

“I think it was a bad decision at the time. When I look back at the innings I played, it was in a certain vein, being as positive as possible…and punishing bad deliveries. I think that one mistake cost me, but that happens in cricket,” Drakes, 31, said.

In sunny conditions, which were picture-perfect for batting on another flat-looking wicket, the Pride won the toss and opted to take first strike.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and left-hander Shayne Moseley picked up from where they left off in the previous match when they added 105 runs for the opening partnership.

They negotiated a testing new-ball spell from the Scorpions, particularly from debutant pacer Khari Campbell. The left-arm bowler got the ball to move both ways, with most deliveries landing on or around off stump.

Brathwaite and Moseley took the score to 55 before the latter was run out for 23 after failing to slide his bat to complete a sharp single.

The obdurate Brathwaite, who scored 176 against the Jamaicans last week, found an ally in Drakes, and the pair shared in a 145-run stand.

Brathwaite, the former West Indies Test captain, appeared set for back-to-back hundreds before he was dismissed by pacer Odean Smith for 74. He hit seven boundaries in 164 deliveries.

The in-form Kevin Wickham, who scored three centuries in a row leading up to this innings, did not last long, returning a catch to the persevering Barnes for five.

Drakes, who played a number of classy shots through the off side, slowed down as he neared a century. He seemed to break the shackles with a four, which took him into the 90s. But on 94 he sauntered down the crease and was left stranded by a delivery from Barnes, with wicketkeeper Romaine Morris whipping off the bails. Drakes stroked 12 fours and a six off 148 balls.

Left-hander Kyle Mayers (one) was trapped leg before wicket to give the hard-working Campbell a well-deserved wicket as Barbados Pride reached 254-5.

But the enterprising Chase, who survived a few streaky, aggressive shots early in the innings, and Boucher put their foot on the pedal to motor the visitors to 346 when play was called off with 87 overs bowled.

Jamaica Scorpions Brad Barnes (airborne) celebrates taking the wicket of Barbados Pride batsman Kevin Wickham (out of picture) as John Campbell (centre) and Brandon King look on during the West Indies Championship match at Sabina Park on Sunday. (Photos: Naphtali Junior)