BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Left-armers Sheldon Cotterrell and Nikita Miller shared four wickets to allow a day that started bleakly for Jamaica to end brightly, triggering a Barbados top-order batting meltdown in the Regional Four-Day Championship yesterday.

Fast bowler Cotterrell and spinner Miller ended with similar figures of two for 17 from five overs and nine overs, respectively, as Barbados limped to 107 for six, replying to the Jamaicans’ first innings total of 165, at the close on a dramatic first day of their first-round match at Kensington Oval.

Jonathan Carter, another left-hander, propped up the Barbadian batting with 47 not out, and West Indies batsman Kirk Edwards, the home team captain, made 32, but no other batsman reached 20.

This was a transformation from what had taken place before lunch, when the Barbadian new-ball pair of Miguel Cummins and Christopher Jordan, gaining appreciable bounce and movement from a lively pitch, sent Jamaica reeling to eight runs for four wickets inside the first hour.

Jermaine Blackwood batted resolutely, however, for the top score of 81 to propel the visitors to a respectable 165 in their first innings.

He struck eight fours and five sixes from 131 balls in close to 3 1/2 hours, sharing half-century stands with Dave Bernard Jr and Andrew Richardson.

Richardson made 30 not out and was the only other Jamaican batsman to reach 20, as the long-limbed Cummins, playing in his second first-class match, grabbed five for 58 from 16.2 overs.

Jordan finished with two for 43 from 15 overs and off-spinner Ashley Nurse collected 2-38 from 12 overs.

Cotterrell then set Barbados back early, when he had opener Rashidi Boucher caught behind for a duck in his first over — the second of the innings — and Richardson added to the home team’s agony, when he bowled Kraigg Brathwaite, also for a duck, in the next over.

Barbados were one run for two wickets, but Kyle Hope came to the crease and stemmed the fall of wickets before he was caught behind off Cotterrell for five, edging a loose drive.

Kirk Edwards, the Barbados captain and West Indies batsman, stroked the ball with crisp assurance before he mistimed a drive and was caught at mid-off for 32 off left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, rocking the Barbadians on 42 for four.

Roston Chase joined Jonathan Carter and they spent just over an hour bringing stability to the innings, putting on 47 for the fifth wicket.

Leg-spinner Odean Brown made the breakthrough, when he bowled Chase for 13 inside the final half-hour before Shane Dowrich was caught at forward short leg off Miller from the penultimate ball of the day.