Another ton for 'Sammy'

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Marlon Samuels stroked his second hundred for the season, as Jamaica settled for a draw with Barbados in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four-day Tournament's first-class cricket championship yesterday.

The 30-year-old batting stylist struck eight fours and one six in 105 from 249 balls in close to five hours, as Jamaica, leading by two on first innings, finished on 340 for eight in their second innings, when the match drew to a close on the final day of the third round match at Kensington Oval.

Wavell Hinds supported with 57, Brendan Nash was not out on 41, Jamaican captain Tamar Lambert scored 41 and Jerome Taylor made 30, as the visitors closed batting practice ahead of another victory.

Roston Chase, Tino Best and Shamarh Brooks ended with two wickets apiece.

The result earned Jamaica six points to move to 24 and Barbados gained three points and remain on nine.

"We have played some good cricket over the last four days," said Lambert. "We were a bit disappointed with our first innings total, but we must give credit to the bowlers. They fought hard on this (flat) pitch. To bowl 128 overs and still gain first innings points from Barbados was an excellent effort."

He added: "This was a difficult pitch on which to come and get 10 wickets in two sessions. We have some of the players carrying niggling injuries and there are a lot of games ahead, including possibly semi-finals and the final and we had to take this into consideration."

Samuels batted with calm assurance to enhance his claims for a recall to West Indies for assignments in the near future.

But he was fortunate to gain two reprieves from the buttery-fingered Barbados fielders. On 62, Barbados captain Ryan Hinds dropped him at second slip off Fidel Edwards and on 87, Dale Richards put him down at first slip off Kevin Stoute.

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He, however, knuckled down to reach his hundred from 237 balls, with a silky drive through extra cover off Jason Holder, to follow up 250 against Guyana in the opening round against Guyana on home soil at Alpart Sports Club.

Samuels added 127 for the third wicket with Wavell Hinds either side of carrying Jamaica to 202 for two at lunch before he was caught low down at extra cover.

"Our young team is shaping up well," said Barbados captain Hinds. "I thought we batted well after losing Kirk Edwards. He was one of our best batsmen in the tournament.

"To chase down 324 and miss out on first innings by two runs, was a tremendous effort by our young team, but our fielding continues to let us down."

At the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground: Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) completed a 158-run victory over Leeward Islands on the stroke of the lunch interval on the final day of their third round match yesterday.