Gayle (103) puts Jamaica in command

ST ELIZABETH: An unbeaten knock of 103 by Chris Gayle helped Jamaica to 158 without loss yesterday,  putting the team in command of their seventh-round Carib Beer Series regional cricket match against the Leeward Islands. The Jamaicans are leading by an overall 168 runs, after finishing their first innings on 200 for the Leewards 190. The left-handed Gayle, just back from the West Indies tour of South Africa, smashed 16 fours and one six off only 89 deliveries to reach his century in 139 minutes. With Gayle was Maurice Kepple, who had compiled a patient 47 by the day’s close. The Leewards had started the day’s play with 39 for five wickets, and nearly made its goal as captain Sylvester Joseph racked up 89 runs, Chaka Hodge hit 46, and Ridley Jacobs made 32.

Shortly after lunch Joseph went, trapped leg before wicket to Jamaica captain Gareth Breese. He had stroked eight fours and one six.
Next to go was Gavin Tonge, caught by Keith Hibbert off Breese for nought. Hodge, who shared a seventh-wicket stand of 81 with Joseph, found another good partner in Sanford and the two put on 24 for the ninth wicket. Sanford was dismissed by fastbowler Andrew Richardson for eight with the score on 188. Hodge was last out, caught by Odean Brown off fastbowler Darren Powell. Powell, who took four wickets in the final session of the first day, had figures of five for 40. Breese, bowling right-arm offspin with a fractured left arm, returned two for 30. Jamaica came into the match in second place on 40 points, ensuring them a spot in the semi-final round along with champions Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. The Leewards are bottom of the eight-team championship with 16 points.    

Carib Beer Scoreboard
T’DAD/TOBAGO VS BARBADOS
Barbados 1st Inns 285
TT 1st Inns 265
Barbados 2nd Inns
 (Overnight 138/3)
M Nurse LBW Emrit 8
K Wilkinson c Black b Mohammed 82
S Campbell LBW Mohammed 31
F Reifer c S Ganga b Jaggernauth 6
R Hinds b Kanhai 83
D Smith b Mohammed 40
C Browne c Mohammed b Kanhai 82
T Best b Black 10
P Collins c sub Thompson b Jaggernauth 9
C Collymore not out 12
F Edwards b Black 0
EXTRAS (LB2, NB6, W1) 9
TOTAL (All out) 372
Fall of wkts: 11, 55, 72, 204, 238, 261, 293, 337, 372, 372.
BOWLING: M Black 17.2-1-79-2, R Emrit 19-4-67-1, A Jaggernauth 28-5-80-2, D Mohammed 28-2-96-3, A Kanhai 14-3-39-2 S Ganga 5-0-9-0.
TT 2nd Inns
D Ganga not out 16
S Ganga c Browne b Collins 0
R Powell c Reifer b Collymore 6
A Kanhai c Smith b Collymore 9
B Lara c Collins b Edwards 14
G Mohammed not out 3
EXTRAS (B2, LB2,, NB8) 12
TOTAL (For 4 wkts) 60
Falls of wkts: 3, 19, 33, 50.
BOWLING: Collins 6-0-30-1, Collymore 7-3-11-2, Edwards 3-0-8-1, Hinds 2-1-1-0.