… enters record books with massive 248 against Hurricanes

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Jermaine Blackwood, who entered the record books last weekend with a massive double-century for Jamaica Scorpions against Leeward Islands Hurricanes, has credited his fitness routine for helping him reach the monumental score.

Small in stature but flamboyant in stroke play, Blackwood made 248 in over eight hours at the crease. He faced 332 balls and hit 33 fours and two sixes in Jamaica’s only innings in the match. They beat the hosts by an innings and 118 runs on the fourth morning at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.

“Fitness is the key. I have been paying special attention to fitness all my career and this season,” the 28-year-old said. “It was a very special feeling to get to such a huge score. The plan was just to bat and bat and take the team to a big score. It was good to get settled in and go big.”

With the regional four-day first-class season suspended after eight rounds of matches, due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has touched several Caribbean countries, Blackwood is the leading run-scorer with 768 runs so far – including six half-centuries.

His previous highest score this season was 98 against the Leewards at the Trelawny multi-purpose facility on the Jamaica north coast. Last Saturday, he added a century stand with captain John Campbell, who made 112.

“I had six half-centuries before the double- century, so it was the result of the hard work I have been doing this season. We got good advice from the coach who continued to remind me to just bat – don’t pressure myself, just stay at the wicket and accumulate the runs,” Blackwood said.

“I played well with John. He did a great job, we spoke throughout and we enjoyed batting together. I always enjoy batting with him. We have a very good understanding when we bat together.”

Blackwood’s knock put him high in the pecking order as it was the fourth highest score by a Jamaican in regional first-class history dating back over 130 years. The highest recorded score by a Jamaican in the first-class cricket in the region is 344 not out, made by the legendary George Headley against the Lord Tennyson’s XI back in 1932 at Melbourne Club Ground in Kingston.

The second highest score also came in that same innings from Clarence Passailaigue, who made 261 not out, as he added a record unbeaten stand of 487 with Headley.

Blackwood’s knock was just two runs short of the top score for Jamaica in the modern era – 250 not out by Marlon Samuels against Guyana at Alpart in February 2011. Samuels actually has two other first-class scores over 250 – his Test best of 260 in Bangladesh in Khulna during his golden year, 2012; and 257 for the West Indies against Queensland in Brisbane ahead of the Frank Worrell Trophy Test Series back in 2005.

Chris Gayle is also one of the most distinguished run-makers among Jamaican batsmen with two triple-centuries in Test cricket – 333 in Sri Lanka and 317 against South Africa in Antigua; as well as 204 against New Zealand in Grenada. He also has double centuries for Jamaica in the regional first-class tournament – 219 against Leeward Islands and 208 not out against the West Indies ‘B’ Team.