Jamaica facing exit from 50 overs tourney

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

The highly anticipated West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional 50 Overs Tournament clash between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago at Sabina Park, ended in a no-result yesterday after rain brought a premature end to proceedings.

Needing to win to keep their hopes of advancing alive, after losing their first match to the Windward Islands last Thursday, Jamaica were set a victory target of 226 off 50 overs by the two-time defending champions in 49.5 overs. However, after an initial rain delay, prior to the start of the hosts' reply, and two rain interruptions, the game was abandoned with Jamaica 45 for two after 10.4 overs.

Heavy downpour

The first interruption came with Jamaica 17 for one off 4.4 overs, which reduced the target to 225 off 49 overs; and the second, which was a heavy downpour that effectively put an end to the game at 2:45 p.m.

The result means that Jamaica, who now have two points, must beat the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) convincingly in their final, first-round Group A fixture tomorrow at Kensington Park, and hope that the Windward Islands (eight points) beat Trinidad and Tobago (six points), if they are to have a chance of qualifying for semi-finals.

The Windwards defeated CCC by three wickets in the day's other game at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium.

"Our chances or making it to the semi-finals are now very, very, very slim, but we will have to be positive against the CCC, and if we are going to win try and do so convincingly, so that if run rate comes into play we will have a chance," remarked Jamaica's captain, Chris Gayle, after the game.

"I thought we really bowled well to restrict Trinidad to 225. But I thought Danza Hyatt and Brendan Nash were batting well and doing a good repair job, and with 20 overs constituting a match we were pacing ourselves. But the rains game and there was nothing that we could do," he added.

Jamaica's display in the field was spearheaded by pacers David Bernard Jr and Krishmar Santokie, claimed 3-49 off 10 overs and 3-43 off 9.5 overs, respectively.

The pair bowled with telling effect at the top and bottom of Trinidad's innings, which kept the visitors against the ropes for much of their innings.

Leading the way for Trinidad were Denesh Ramdin, who made a run-a-ball 43 not out, and Dwayne Bravo who made 43 off 59 balls, while there were also useful contributions from Adrian Barath, 32 off 48 balls, and Kieron Pollard 28 off 28 balls.

Jamaica then got off to a poor start when they lost Xavier Marshall for zero off two balls with only a run on the board, and Gayle for seven off 16 balls with the score on 28.

Ganga disappointed

"We were not totally happy with the target we got as we would have liked 240 or 250. But with the bowlers we have in our team we knew we could have defended the total. But then came the weather," said Trinidad captain, Darren Ganga.

"The result has left handed Jamaica a lifeline, however, once we continue to play to the high standards we set I know we can defeat the Windwards in our final match."

The tournament continues today with action in Group B. At Sabina Park Barbados will meet Guyana, while at Kensington Park the Leeward Islands will go up against the WICB/Sagicor High Performance Centre.

• SCOREBOARD

Trinidad

L. Simmons b Bernard

26A. Barath c Nash b Miller 32D. Bravo c wk Baugh b Bernard 6D. Ganga lbw b Bernard 15D. Bravo c Gayle b Miller 43K. Pollard hit wkt b Santokie 28+D. Ramdin not out 43S. Ganga c Santokie b Brown 11D. Mohammed st Baugh b Brown 5S. Badree b Santokie 0R. Rampaul c Hyatt b Santokie 0Extras: (lb5, w11) 16TOTAL: (all out, 49.5 overs) 225

Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-65, 3-75, 4-94, 5-147, 6-171, 7-199, 8-224, 9-225, 10-225.

Bowling: Russell 9-0-34-0, Santokie 9.5-0-49-3, Bernard 10-0-42-3, Nash 1-0-12-0, Miller 10-3-32-2, Brown 10-0-51-2.

Jamaica

C. Gayle lbw b Badree

7X Marshall c DJ Bravo b Rampaul 0D. Hyatt not out 27B. Nash not out 5Extras: (lb1, w5) 6TOTAL: (2 wkts, 10.4 overs) 45

Did not bat: T Lambert, D Bernard, +C Baugh, A Russell, N Miller, O Brown, K Santokie.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-28.

Bowling: Rampaul 3-1-19-1, Badree 5-0-13-1, DJ Bravo 2.4-0-12-0.

Result: Match abandoned.

Points: Jamaica 2, T&T 2.

Toss: T&T.

Umpires: N Duguid, C Mack.