Mansingh looks to build on solid debut

Abhijai Mansingh was a late medical replacement for Alwyn Williams in the just-concluded West Indies Championships match for Jamaica Scorpions against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in Antigua and he is looking to continue to perform with both bat and ball as the tournament progresses.

The 24-year-old grabbed the opportunity with both hands bagging three wickets in the Leeward Islands' first innings before making 56 when the Scorpions batted.

The Melbourne CC player returned to snare two wickets in the Hurricane's second innings and then batted until the end on the final day by making 62 not out to save the Scorpions from losing the contest outright.

According to Mansingh, being thrust into the game unexpectedly helped him to remain calm. He was elated with his performance in the match.

"Once I got onto the field, I was ready to get into my work and focus on the plans that the coaches formulated with me. Because I was ready, it was simple for me to go out there and execute," said Mansingh.

Mansigh's first wicket at the level was Leeward Islands captain Jahmar Hamilton, and the leg-spinner said he did what he was told, and it worked out in his favour.

"What coach Nikita Miller and I spoke about was that my job was to take wickets and build pressure, so I was there to attack the batsmen and break partnerships," he said.

Coach Andrew Richardson also highlighted his batting exploits while also singling out the former Campion College player for showing character.

"I attributed my runs to my mindset. I had fought a lot in the last few years, and I just came into this game with a fighting mindset, which helped me to buckle down and bat long," added Mansigh.

Mansingh said he also learnt a lot in his first outing from the Leeward Islands off-spinning all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall who scored a half-century and took 10 wickets in the match.

"I tip my hat to Rahkeem for how he was able to execute his skill for such long periods, which made him stand out from the rest, and that is something that I will take away from this game and try to apply to my game."

The Scorpions will next face the Barbados Pride at the same venue starting Wednesday, and Mansingh is keen on staying grounded going into the fixture.

"The plans remain the same, which is to stay focused and execute my plans. I am not going to get ahead of myself because I have only played one game and I am still inexperienced at this level. The key is to keep my head down," he said.