Wickham’s career-best knock rescues Pride

Kevin Wickham delivered a career-defining masterclass on the opening day of the West Indies Championship regional four-day clash between the Jamaica Scorpions and Barbados Pride at Chedwin Park yesterday. He scored a magnificent 153 to lift the visitors from the depths of 23 for three to a commanding 348 all out.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Pride’s innings was in tatters inside the first hour.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was bowled for a duck off the third ball of the match by Marquino Mindley. Shayne Moseley followed, trapped leg before wicket by Ojay Shields for six, and when Jonathan Drakes was bowled by a shooter from Mindley for 10, Barbados were reeling at 23 for three.

Enter Wickham. The right-hander watched from the non-striker’s end as Kyle Mayers launched a counter-attack. The pair added 117 runs for the fourth wicket, with Mayers slamming 64 off 89 balls, including four fours and three sixes, before falling to Peat Salmon.

At 140 for four, Jamaica struck again. Mindley had Leniko Boucher pinned leg before wicket for a golden duck, leaving Barbados on 141 for five.

But Wickham was not done. He found another staunch ally in Shamar Springer, and together they piled on 130 runs for the sixth wicket. Springer contributed a polished 40 before Mindley returned to bowl him.

Wickham brought up his 150 in style but fell soon after, trapped in front by Salmon for a breathtaking 153. He faced 193 balls, batting 253 minutes, and cleared the ropes 12 times while hitting six fours. Most memorably, he launched four sixes in a single over from leg-spinner Abhijai Mansingh.

Lower-order resistance from Joshua Bishop, who made 37, pushed the Pride towards 350 before Mindley (4-32) and Salmon (4-104) wrapped up the tail. Shields finished with 2-58.

Faced with a tricky six-over spell before stumps, the Scorpions reached 17 without loss, with Kirk McKenzie on eight and captain John Campbell on three.

Reflecting on his knock, Wickham credited hard work ahead of the competition.

“My mindset was just to play straight,” he said. “It was about getting in on this wicket and batting for long. Once I was there, I knew the runs would come. The pitch was tough, but I backed my game.”

Play will resume today at 10 a.m.