AN unbeaten Andre Russell century saved the Jamaica Scorpions a few blushes in their Cricket West Indies Regional Super50 match against the Kent Cricket Club yesterday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

Russell’s century cancelled out one from Kent opener Daniel Bell Drummond, 105 not out, after the English County side were sent in to bat and scored 239-5 from their 50 overs. The Scorpions replied with 240-7.

Kent were put in early trouble as the wickets of Zak Crawley 1, Sean Dickson 11 and Joseph Denly 1 left them reeling at 98-4.
Ninety-eight for four became 104-5 when Will Gidman was undone by Andre McCarthy for three, but a remarkable recovery was still on the cards.
Wicketkeeper Adam Rouse joined Drummond at that point to score a swashbuckling 75 not out from just 68 deliveries.
The partnership, worth 135, came off 123 deliveries and gave the Scorpions a few headaches.

Fabian Allen (2-35) was the best of the Scorpions bowlers, with Oshane Thomas 1-43, Pete Salmon 1-33, and Andre McCarthy 1-47 also getting among the wickets.
When the Scorpions replied, they got into early trouble, losing Steven Taylor for a duck, before Trevon Griffith followed for just three.
Chadwick Walton 22, McCarthy 18 and Fabian Allen two, made for a woeful looking top-order batting display. The Scorpions were, at one stage 57-5, and staring a second defeat to Kent in the face.

Brandon King’s 43 helped stabilise the innings. Along with Russell, the Scorpions put on 76 without any further disturbance, but when King went in the 35th over with the score at 133-6, the game could have gone either way.

Salmon, 19, then stuck around with Russell in a partnership worth 71.
When Salmon lost his head in the 46th over, Russell and Odean Smith stepped on the gas, to score the last 36 runs required from just 21 balls.

By that time, Russell had brought up his 100 and the Scorpions had overtaken Kent in the standings to hold on to one of two qualification spots for the semi-finals with two games to go. (Sportsmax)

KENT innings

1. Bell-Drummond not out 105
2. Crawley c Taylor c Thomas 1
3. Dickson c Thomas b Salmon 11
4. Denly c & b Allen 1
5. Blake c Smith b Allen 14
6. Gidman c Allen b McCarthy 3
7. Rouse not out 75

Extras: (lb-3, w-25, nb-1) 29

Total: (5 wkts, 50 overs) 239

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-57, 3-61, 4-98, 5-104.

Bowling: Lamont 10-1-27-0, Thomas 6-0-43-1, Salmon 7-0-33-1, Allen 10-1-35-2, Smith 7-0-51-0, McCarthy 10-1-47-1.

SCORPIONS innings

1. Taylor c wkp. Rouse b Thomas 0
2. Griffith c Riley b Denly 3
3. Walton c Riley b Denly 22
4. McCarthy c wkp Rouse b Haggett 18
5. Allen lbw b Denly 2
6. King c wkp. Rouse b Thomas 43
7. Russell not out 108
8. Salmon c Blake b Grant 19
9. Smith not out 12

Extras: (lb-5, w-8) 13

Total: (7 wkts, 49.1 overs) 240

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-28, 3-39, 4-45, 5-57, 6-133, 7-204.

Bowling: Thomas 8-0-51-2, Grant 9.1-0-44-1, Denly 10-1-53-3, Gidman 10-2-18-0, Haggett 9-1-49-1, Riley 3-0-20-0.