LEFT-ARM fast bowler Sheldon Cotterell stormed to a maiden first-class five-wicket haul.

Then opener Brenton Parchment and captain Tamar Lambert struck contrasting half-centuries as title-holders Jamaica wrested control from Trinidad & Tobago in their regional four-day contest at Sabina Park in Kingston.

At stumps yesterday, Jamaica, hunting a historic 13th-straight four-day win, were 184-4 and boasted a commanding lead of 210 entering the third day’s play, which is scheduled for a 9:30 am start.

The 30-year-old Parchment, who played two Test matches for the West Indies back in 2008, is unbeaten on a patiently compiled 60, while David Bernard is not out on zero.

Scores: Jamaica 147 (49.4 overs) & 184-4 (54 overs); Trinidad & Tobago 121 (48.2 overs)

Earlier the hosts nipped a 26-run first-innings advantage in dismissing the T&T team — which resumed on their overnight 36 for one — for a sub-par total of 121 on a bright, sunny day at Sabina.

The strongly-built Cotterell ended with figures of 5-43 as he troubled the Trinidadian batsmen with sheer pace and a bit of sideways movement on a batting surface that offered inconsistent bounce throughout the day.

The 23-year-old pacer told reporters after the match that the pitch offered some assistance to bowlers who had “discipline” and “put in the effort” in getting deliveries “in the right areas”.

Despite Cotterell’s heroics, it was medium-pacer Bernard (3-18) who set the Jamaican train in motion with an inspired spell early in the day.

Attacking opener Lendl Simmons, continuing on his overnight 25 not out, could not curb his maverick approach as on a handful of occasions he advanced down the pitch to the seamers, in a bid to force the tempo.

The 28-year-old reached an adventurous 39 off 51 balls before he mistimed a lofted off-side shot to the crafty Bernard and was caught at mid-off by Cotterell with the score

on 58-2.

Bernard, 31, then accounted for the left-handed Kjorn Ottley (14) with a trademark delivery that slanted across the batsman and kissed the outside edge en route to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh.

Trinidad & Tobago captain Denesh Ramdin (0) was also given out to the Bernard/Baugh combination as Jamaica, who struggled on Saturday, continued to haul themselves back into the encounter.

Cotterell, bowling around the wicket, got in on the act in dismissing Jason Mohammed (7) and Imran Khan (4) just before the lunch break and his fast bowling partner Andrew Richardson got his second of the innings moments after the interval when he bowled Rayad Emrit (29) off an inside edge.

The Jamaica Defence Force soldier then accomplished his career-best figures in sending back left-hander Yannic Cariah (19), Marlon Richards (3) and Shannon Gabriel (0), and also ensured that the pacers took all 10 wickets to fall in the innings.