Rookie Parnell aims to be vital in Scorpions’ Super50 defence

The Jamaica Scorpions are poised to defend their regional Super50 title, and rookie Shalome Parnell is keen to help the Jamaican franchise achieve that goal.

The Melbourne CC all-rounder was named among 14 players who will travel to Trinidad and Tobago for the start of the 50-over competition on Tuesday.

The left-arm bowling all-rounder sealed his place after picking up a handful of wickets in the practice game; however, it was his MVP-like performance in the recently concluded Jamaica Cricket Association All-island 50-over competition that caught the eyes of the coaches and selectors.

Parnell finished as the joint-leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps in eight matches, with a best bowling of five wickets for 34 runs. His 252 runs in seven innings was the fourth-best in the competition and included two half-centuries.

For Parnell, being selected was just hard work paying off throughout the season.

"Over the past months, I have been training and working very hard. That is one of the reasons I finished with the most wickets in the 50-over competition. I also showed what I could do in the Trials as well.

Parnell, who bats right-handed, credits long-standing coach Derrick 'Foodie' Azan as one of the persons who helped him to achieve his goal of representing Jamaica.

The former Garvey Maceo player says he is eager to get the chance to put on the Jamaica colours and represent the nation on the regional scene.

"I can help the team in many ways because I can bowl the new ball or even come on as the first change. If I am needed towards the back end to score some runs, I can do that too," he said.

Parnell and the other Jamaican players will have their work cut out when they open the competition against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on Wednesday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA).

The Rovman Powell-led Scorpions will face the Barbados Pride at UWI Spec next Friday before engaging the West Indies Academy at the Queens Park Oval on October 25.

The Scorpions will take on the Combined Campuses and Colleges at UWI Spec on October 27 before facing the Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA two days later.

The final game before the semi-finals for the Scorpions will be on November 4, when they take on the Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA.