Victory for Jamaica
At times it appeared harder than it really was, but Jamaica expectedly secured their first win of the 2010 WICB Regional Four-day cricket championship with a six-wicket triumph over the Windward Islands at Chedwin Park yesterday.
The target of 98 established on Sunday’s third day should never have caused the batsmen to work up too much perspiration, but there were instances in which the visitors thought that they could make something of a fight from what should have been a no-contest.
In the end, it was left to left-handed batsman Brendon Nash to nudge the Windwards from their dream, as his authoritative, unbeaten 44 made sure that they left Jamaica for their next assignment empty-handed.
Jamaica’s task, with third-day stutters when opener Brenton Parchment fell for zero, and Donovan Pagan departed for eight, was given a further jolt when opener Xavier Marshall failed to add to his overnight 10 after play started 19 minutes earlier to make up for time lost on Sunday when play ended early due to bad light.
The talented Marshall played back to the last of the morning’s third over from legspinner Rawl Lewis, only to see his stumps rattled.
Jamaica were then 21 for three, but captain Tamar Lambert, in partnership with Nash pushed the hosts past the 50 mark when Lambert fell leg before wicket to off-spinner Shane Shillingford for 15.
Nash and Hinds kept calm in an unbroken stand of 40 for the fifth-wicket, oftentimes fending off awkwardly bouncing balls from Lewis and Shillingford past the hands of fielders close by.
Nash hit five fours off the 51 balls that he faced and batted altogether for 96 minutes.
Hinds was on 14 at the end to climax a good match in which he accumulated 109 runs.
Scoreboard
WINDWARD ISLANDS 1st Innings 181
JAMAICA 1st Innings 335
WINDWARD ISLANDS 2nd Innings 251
JAMAICA 2nd Innings (target: 98 runs)
(overnight 20 for two)
B Parchment c Fletcher b Pascal 0
X Marshall b Lewis 10
D Pagan c Pascal b Lewis 8
T Lambert lbw b Shillingford 15
B Nash not out 44
W Hinds not out 14
Extras (b2, lb2, nb3) 7
TOTAL (4 wkts, 35.4 overs) 98
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-20, 3-21, 4-58
Bowling: Pascal 6-2-21-2 (nb1); Peters 4-0-12-0; Lewis 11-0-27-2 (nb1)
Shillingford 10-1-23-1 (nb1); Sebastien 4.4-2-11-0
Result: Jamaica won by six wickets
Points: Jamaica 12, Windwards zero
Umpires: V Bullen, C Mack