EVEN as Jamaica Scorpions suffered the ignominy of being asked to follow-on against Barbados Pride, batsman Kirk McKenzie remains confident of them staving off defeat in the West Indies Championship first class cricket match.

At close of play at Sabina Park on Monday the Scorpions were 22-1 in their second innings, after they were brushed aside for 142 on a surface that offered spin and bounce. The Scorpions are still 275 runs adrift of Barbados Pride, who made 439 in their first innings.

Scores: Barbados 439 (112 ovs); Jamaica 142 (51 ovs) & 22-1 (11 ovs)

McKenzie, unbeaten on seven, said the Scorpions can bounce back after collapsing from 61 without loss to be dismissed for under 150 runs in the first innings.

“It’s a disappointing position for us as a team but we know what’s the plan and what it will take to bring us to the next [stage] of the tournament,” the opening batsman told the Jamaica Observer.

“We just have to come back tomorrow and the following day as a batting unit and to better what he did in the first innings. I am still very confident in the batting unit — that [display] in the first innings is a one-off bad innings,” McKenzie added.

Left-arm finger spinner Joshua Bishop, who took 4-31 to support off-spinner Roston Chase (5-28), admitted he was taken aback by the amount of assistance they got from the second-day surface after the Pride’s batsmen dominated the Scorpions on Sunday.

“We [Roston and I] were getting wickets from both ends so we just tried to keep bowling in partnerships to keep the pressure on. We were surprised that it spun this much today,” he said.

He credited the batting unit for laying the foundation for the Pride’s commanding position.

“The game is set up really good for us; kudos to our batsmen for putting us in the position that we are in. Then it was good for the bowling group to bowl them out and now we have to come back and finish the job tomorrow,” Bishop told the Observer.

Earlier, Barbados resumed from their overnight score of 346-5, with Chase and wicketkeeper Leniko Boucher on 82 and 40, respectively.

Boucher was the first to go, dismissed by pace bowler Marquino Mindley for 50 off 64 deliveries. He struck five fours and a six.

Chase didn’t last for long either, cramped playing a pull shot to a short delivery from Mindley and was caught by Abhijai Mansingh. Chase thrashed 12 fours and a six from 102 balls.

Bishop and Jomel Warrican each went for four to the bowling of pacer Odean Smith as Barbados reached 376-9.

But the Scorpions were kept at bay by a pugnacious last-wicket stand between all-rounder Shamar Springer and number 11 Jediah Blades.

Mindley wrapped it up for the Scorpions when his searing yorker smashed into the base of Blade’s mid-stump. Blade made 21, while Springer was left unbeaten on 45.

As they have done a number of times in the series, the Scorpions left-hand openers John Campbell and McKenzie laid a solid platform for the hosts.

But with the first-innings score on 61 they lost Campbell (36) when he played over a full delivery from Chase and was bowled.

King, playing his first game of the series after battling a groin niggle, was also bowled by Chase for one as Jamaica stumbled to 67-2.

McKenzie’s 86-ball stay ended on 31 when he drove a delivery from Blades into the hands of Bishop at point.

Bishop got in on the act when he dismissed both Brad Barnes (two) and left-hander Javelle Glenn (17) as Jamaica Scorpions slipped 111-5.

Chase trapped Mansingh leg before wicket for five and Salmon went first ball when he shovelled a catch to short leg.

Smith survived the hat-trick ball against Chase but his partner Romaine Morris (19) fell to Bishop as the Scorpions slumped to 132.

Smith was soon dismissed by Bishop, and Chase accounted for Khari Campbell as the innings closed.

Asked to follow on in sunny conditions, the Scorpions were in immediate trouble as skipper Campbell was bowled in the first over by Bishop, who unsurprisingly was given the new ball.

King, unbeaten on 15, and McKenzie negotiated a testing spell of just over 10 overs to ensure there was no further loss for the Scorpions.

— Sanjay Myers

John Campbell, the Jamaica Scorpions captain, walks back to the pavilion after being dismissed for a duck in the second innings of the West Indies Championship cricket match against Barbados Pride at Sabina Park on Monday.