Windwards humble Jamaica

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica will have to come good against Trinidad and Tobago at Sabina Park tomorrow if they are to have a realistic chance of winning this year's West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President's Cup 50-over tournament after going down to a five-wicket defeat under the Duckworth/Lewis method at the hands of the Windward Islands at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium yesterday.

Favourites entering the contest, Jamaica, after an average batting display, posted 224 off their allotted 50 overs. The Windwards, in their reply, after two rain interruptions, then reached 85-5 off 20 overs, after being set a revised target of 113 off 35 overs.

Leading the way for the Windwards was sidelined West Indies opener Devon Smith, whose composed 42 not out was the backbone of the visitors' innings amid the rain interruptions.

Smith's opening partner Johnson Charles also contributed 20 valuable runs against spin twins Nikita Miller, two for eight off four overs, and Odean Brown, two for 10 off three overs.

Second win

The win, which is the second in successive meetings for the Windwards at the venue, after they surprised the champions-elect Jamaica in the regional four-day title two seasons ago, moved the Windwards to top of Group A along with Trinidad and Tobago, who defeated the Combined Campuses and Colleges by eight wickets at Kensington Park, in the group's other game.

Jamaica's coach Junior Bennett felt that the result could have been different if the game had not been interrupted by rain.

"It's the way the game goes. The rain chipped in and in the end we were short by 10 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method," said Bennett.

"I thought our total was a very competitive one on this track. Our spinners tried but it was just not their day. The loss has put us under pressure, as we didn't want to play catch up cricket, but what it means is that we will have to win our next two games."

A smiling Darren Sammy, in the meanwhile, whose leadership throughout the game was evident, said he was happy that his team was able to come away victors, as it puts them in a good position to make the semi-finals.

"When we landed here we said we needed to win at least two games to make it to the semi-finals, and today we won our first," he said.

"When we were asked to bowl first with rain in mind we were quite happy, as the forecast was for a rainy day, and as the day progressed it worked in our favour bowling and batting wise."

Jamaica, who played six specialist batsmen and left out all-rounder Andre Russell, fast bowler Andrew Richardson and young batsman Horace Miller from their 14-man squad, had an injured Chris Gayle to thank for their fairly competitive total.

After pulling his hamstring in the first over and forced to retire hurt, Gayle returned with a runner with the team wobbling at 135-5 in the 39th over. He proceeded to launch the Windwards bowlers all over the park to top-score with 58 not out.

His innings, which lasted 48 balls, included four sixes and four fours. Twenty-three of his runs came off the final over bowled by Sammy. He was dropped three times in the over.

The ever-reliable Tamar Lambert made 38 off 60 balls while Danza Hyatt, 36 off 45 balls, and Carlton Baugh Jr, 24 not out, also made useful contributions.

The competition will continue today with the playing of two Group B matches. At Sabina Park Barbados will do battle with the Leewards, and at Kensington Park Guyana will take on the youthful WICB/Sagicor High Performance Centre.

SCOREBOARD

JAMAICA (maximum 50 overs)

C. Gayle not out 58X. Marshall c Charles b Pascal 11M. Samuels c Emmanuel b Sammy 23B. Nash c D.S. Smith b Sammy 14D. Hyatt c Hector b Shillingford 36T. Lambert c D.S. Smith b Mathurin 38+C. Baugh Jr not out 24Extras (b2, lb3, w14) 19TOTAL (5 wkts, 50 overs) 223

D. Bernard Jr, N. Miller, O. Brown, K. Santokie did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-54, 3-59, 4-134, 5-139. NOTE: Gayle retired hurt at 0-16 and returned at 4-134

Bowling: Pascal 5-0-13-1, Peters 7-0-25-0, Dammy 9-0-44-2, Sebastien 10-0-40-0, Shillingford 10-0-54-1, Mathurin 9-0-42-1

WINDWARD ISLANDS

(target: 75 off 20 overs)

D.S. Smith not out 42J. Charles lbw b Brown 20D. Sammy c wk Baugh b Miller 1C. Emmanuel st Baugh b Miller 0D. Hector b Brown 0+A. Fletcher run out (Samuels) 4Extras (b1, lb17) 18TOTAL (5 wkts, 20 overs) 85

L. Sebastien, G. Mathurin, S. Shillingford, K. Peters, N. Pascal did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-66, 2-69, 3-69, 4-71, 5-85

Bowling: Bernard 4-0-14-0, Santokie 4-1-17-0, Nash 1-0-12-0, Miller 4-0-8-2, Lambert 4-0-23-0, Brown 3-0-10-2

Result: Windwards won by five wickets (D/L Method)

Points: Windwards 4, Jamaica 0

Man of the Match: D.S. Smith (Windwards)

Umpires: C. Duncan, G. Brathwaite