Top-order batting flops... But Jamaica recover to win practice match

Richard Bryan, Gleaner Writer

Jamaican batsmen preparing for the Caribbean Twenty/20 Tournament got a serious examination, but their bowlers came shining through to spare new national head coach Gus Logie blushes in a 19-run win over a Ballards Valley Invitational XI in southern St Elizabeth yesterday.

Jamaica's top order were blown away by the new-ball pair of Mark Gordon and Nieve McNally, to be tottering at three runs for three wickets, before an enterprising knock of 26 by Danza Hyatt and a top score of 34 from local boy Shawn Findlay helped them recover to post a fighting total of 123.

Ace fast-bowler Jerome Taylor, showing signs of being back to his best, then produced a second spell of two overs in which he snared three wickets for four runs, to seriously peg back the local pick-up squad, who at one time looked like upsetting their more vaunted opponents.

In the end they folded, much to the relief of Logie and chairman of selectors Ruddy Williams, for 105, as all of the Jamaican bowlers - leg-spinner Odean Brown, Nikita Miller, Andre Russell, Sheldon Cottrell and David Bernard Jr getting among the wickets.

Logie later commented to The Gleaner that his side had received and came through an important test.

"We had a very challenging game and, in the end, a win is a win," he said.

"We were not at our best with our batting, but the fact that they reached 123 showed they have the ability to recover. It's not every day we're going to be five for three, and I can promise you that."

Laughable batting

Jamaica's early batting was laughable, even as it was embarrassing. From the very first over bowled by Gordon, Xavier Marshall was the first to be ineptly exposed on a wicket that offered good bounce from apparent early moisture. He was nearly yorked by the first ball. The next two were short and wide, which he ungainly walloped and missed, attempting elaborate cut shots. Immediately, he was probably saved by an inside edge and the next ball he was bowled to end a miserable stay at the wicket.

His opening partner, Bernard Jr, was next in the firing line from the other end, taking strike against the much quicker McNally, who represents Manchester in the Super League. He, too, looked fazed and showed early jitters when he was almost run out off the second ball, attempting a single to backward point. He shouldered the next, missed a shot at the next two before he too was bowled before the over was completed.

Marlon Samuels was the next to face the dreaded duck, as Gordon came up for his second over. The Melbourne batsman looked fired up, swashing wildly at two wide ones served up by Gordon, before leaving alone a tame half-volley on off stump.

Perhaps realising he had missed out, he attacked the following delivery and got a high edge that flew to third man. He looked forlorn as McNally settled nicely to take a good catch.

The loss of Samuels' wicket meant not a single run had come from the bat and all three batsmen had made ducks.

Hyatt and Findlay apart, only Jerome Taylor, whose partnership with Findlay took Jamaica past the 100-run mark in the 16th over, Horace Miller (13) and Nikita Miller, reached double figures.

Captain Wavell Hinds also fiddled badly, lasting a mere five deliveries and mining just one cheeky single, before gifting his wicket down the throat of McNally at wide long on, off the bowling of part-time off-spinner Jermaine Blackwood. His departure at 37 for five, quite expectedly, opened a can of criticism among sections of the 800-odd crowd, regarding the merits of his place as a batter.