Jamaica advance to semifinals in WICB competition

Hosts Jamaica pulled off a spectacular 207-run victory over Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) at Kensington Park yesterday to romp into the semi-finals of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) One-Day Championship, days after they seemed poised to be dumped from the competition.



Sent in to bat, Jamaica rattled up 285 for eight off their allotted 50 overs and they returned to crush Combined Campuses and Colleges for a paltry 78 all out off 30.1 overs, to wrap up the bonus point and end Group A in second place on seven points.



Jamaica will now play the winner of Group B in the second semi-final on Friday at the Trelawny Multi Purpose Stadium.



Surprised package Windward Islands, who won Group 'A' following an eight-wicket victory over champions Trinidad and Tobago at Sabina Park yesterday, will face the runners-up in Group A in the first semi-final on Thursday at Sabina Park.



Group B qualifiers will be decided today following the last set of preliminary round games.



The matches are Barbados against Sagicor High Performance Centre team at Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium and Leeward Islands facing Guyana at Sabina Park.



victory for Jamaica yesterday was set up by openers Xavier Marshall and captain Chris Gayle who both hammered half-centuries in a stand of 138 for the first wicket.



Marshall scored 75 from 109 balls with four fours and three sixes while Gayle, the former West Indies captain, pummelled 72 from 74 balls.



The left-handed Gayle, who counted four fours and sixes, was the first to fall when he was caught on the cover boundary by Gilford Moore, attempting to go over the top with medium pacer Boris Hutchinson in the 27th over.



When Marshall fell to a great catch in the deep by Miles Bascombe off off-spinner Ryan Wiggins at 175 for three, Jamaica’s innings plunged into decline as they lost five wickets for 55 runs to fall to 230 for seven in the 46th over.



Impressive all-rounder Andre Russell, however, crashed 46 from 22 balls with two fours and four sixes to rally the lower order.



CCC were off to a terrible start, losing Omar Phillips for three to a catch at the wicket off Russell’s pace with the score on five in the second over, and were in further trouble when Martin Nurse clobbered the same bowler to Dave Bernard at mid-off to fall for eight at 18 for two in the sixth over.



There was to be no recovery as only Bascombe with 37 from 76 balls showed any resistance, as Jamaica’s attack ripped through the CCC middle and lower order.



Medium pacer Bernard finished with three for 33 while leg-spinner Odean Brown two for 3, left-arm spinner Nikita Miller 2 for 8 and Russell 2 for 14 claimed two wickets apiece.



The win was Jamaica's first after they lost their first match to the Windwards, while the second against Trinidad and Tobago finished in a no-result after rain intervened.



Over at sabina Park, T&T were blown away for 133 off 40.1 overs and Windwards Islands replied with 139 for two off 33.2 overs.