Jamaica (486/7) pile on the runs at Albion

ALBION: Guyana faced a huge Jamaican first innings total at the close of play on the second day of their Carib Beer International Challenge cricket semi-final yesterday.

Guyana closed at 39 without loss in reply to Jamaica’s 486-7 declared. Openers Azeemul Haniff and Krishna Arjune survived nearly an hour of fast bowling from the Jamaican pair of Jermaine Lawson and Darren Powell. With memories of their first innings loss to Guyana at home in last year’s First-Class cricket championship final, Jamaica stepped up their scoring rate in the afternoon session. The visitors scraped a mere 38 runs in the first hour yesterday, compared to the brisk and boundary-studded 114 during the same period on Saturday. The remainder of Jamaica’s top order made aggressive half centuries, with 79 each from Marlon Samuels and Gareth Breese, 58 from Wavell Hinds and 55 from skipper Robert Samuels. The exceptions were Leon Garrick (31) and Chris Gayle (19).

Yesterday’s play was marked by tighter bowling from Guyana compared to the previous day. But partnerships of 133 between Breese and Samuels, 60 between Samuels and century-maker Dave Bernard (109) and 48 between Samuels and wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert ensured that Jamaica posted one of the largest totals in this year’s annual First-Class competition. Bernard’s century consisted of 13 boundaries in more than seven hours. Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are playing in the other semi-final fixture.