Pagon (88 n.o.) anchors Jamaica

KINGSTON: Jamaica ended at 293 for eight wickets on the first day of the fifth-round Carib Beer Series regional cricket match against Trinidad at the Alpart Sports Club in St Elizabeth yesterday. Opener Donovan Pagon, who has been the anchor of the innings, is on 88 while Devon Brown is unbeaten on eight. Pagon, who was dropped by Trinidad and Tobago captain Daren Ganga when he made 62, retired on 79 after suffering from cramps. He has so far struck 10 boundaries.  Danza Hyatt (52) and Carlton Baugh (53) also posted half-centuries in aggressive fashion on a pitch that favoured the batsmen.

Trinidad won the toss and soon had the hosts in trouble. Jamaica lost Brenton Parchment for nought to the second ball of the day, caught in the slips by Samuel Badree off medium-pacer Richard Kelly. A second wicket partnership between Pagon and Hyatt quickly gave Jamaica the advantage. But five minutes before the lunch break, the attacking Hyatt was caught off spinner Sherwin Ganga after hitting eight fours from 77 deliveries. Jamaica went to lunch at 88 for two and on the resumption, Pagon and captain Tamar Lambert added 45 for the third wicket with some bold strokeplay.

Lambert, who hit Sherwin Ganga for a six and four off successive deliveries, was third out when he played a ball from medium-pacer Kyron Lynch on to his stumps for 29. Keith Hibbert was the other batsman out in the afternoon session, caught off medium-pacer Rayed Emrit for 15 as the hosts went to tea at 182 for four. The Jamaicans lost four more wickets in the final session, including David Bernard to Kelly for 23 and Baugh who raised his half-century off 72 deliveries with six fours and one six. He was caught going for another big drive off Emrit.

Two deliveries later, Emrit also dismissed Nikita Miller  for 11. Bowling for Trinidad and Tobago, Emrit has so far captured three wickets for 45 runs from 16 overs. Kelly and Sherwin Ganga have each taken two wickets.  Jamaica head the eight-team tournament with maximum 48 points from four matches. Trinidad and Tobago are second with 24 points. (AP)