Jamaica beat eight-man TT

KINGSTON: Jamaica held their grip on the Carib Beer Series regional cricket tournament yesterday, defeating Trinidad and Tobago by 142 runs on the fourth and final day of their fifth-round match at the Alpart Sports Club. Scores in the match: Jamaica 316 and 274 for six dec. vs Trinidad/ Tobago 303 and 145. Set 288 to win in two sessions, the Trinidadians reached 145 for seven early into the final hour when their innings closed as three of their players were unable to bat.

Shazam Babwah went home on Thursday to attend his father’s funeral, while Sherwin Ganga retired hurt after being struck in the face by a rising delivery from Darren Powell at the start of his team’s second innings. Imran Jan was unable to bat due to a back injury. It was Jamaica’s fifth victory, putting the team on maximum 60 points from their five matches. Trinidad are on 24 points. Donovan Pagon who made 104 not out and in the first innings and 57 in the second, was named “Man-of-the-Match.” Victory came when left-arm spinner Nikita Miller grabbed the wickets of Rayad Emrit (14) and Kyron Lynch (0) with successive deliveries. Miller captured four wickets for 27 runs from 9.2 overs.

Miller picked up the crucial wicket of Richard Kelly for 83. The allrounder had taken on the Jamaicans with a flurry of attacking strokes, hitting seven sixes and three fours off only 72 deliveries. Kelly and his captain, Daren Ganga, carried the score to 91 for three wickets at tea with Kelly on 52 and Ganga on 22. Shortly after the resumption, Ganga was trapped leg before wicket by Miller for 24 and that opened the way for the Jamaican win.

Earlier, Jamaica declared their second innings at its lunchtime 274 for six and immediately had the visitors in trouble. Lendl Simmons was caught for seven off fast-bowler Dwight Washington attempting a hook shot. In the next over, Sherwin Ganga was struck and left the field. His replacement, Dinesh Ramdin, did not last long as he was caught hooking at Powell for nought while Samuel Badree was the third wicket to go, caught in the deep off the spinner Bevon Brown.

Kelly joined his captain and launched into the Jamaican attack with some bold hitting. He reached his half-century just before tea off only 41 deliveries with five sixes and one four. Starting the day at 144 for three, Jamaica went for quick runs in the morning session, smashing 130 runs. Powell scored 45 and captain Tamar Lambert 31 in a stand of 66 for the fifth wicket before both were run out. David Bernard was the next batsman to go, bowled by Badree, bowling legspin, for eight. Carlton Baugh attacked the Trinidadian bowling to reach 43 not out at the break while Keith Hibbert was on five when the declaration was made.