By Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
India A's Gautam Gambhir is trapped leg before for 47 by spinner Gareth Breese at Sabina Park yesterday. The wicketkeeper is Keith Hibbert while at slip is Jamaica's captain Robert Samuels. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
THE CARIB Beer Series cricket match between Jamaica and India "A" at Sabina Park enters its fourth and final day today with the promise of a close finish but with the odds in favour of the visitors.
At stumps on yesterday's third day, the scoreboard read, Jamaica 129 and 273, India "A" 119 and 212 for five, and with the visitors needing another 72 runs to win and the home team another five wickets, the contest appears nicely balanced.
Abhijit Kale is not out on 50 and batting well, however, Ajay Ratra, the wicketkeeper who scored a century against the West Indies in St. John's last year, is still to come, and Jamaica will have to strike early in order to win.
Resuming on 243 for seven and leading by 253 after taking first innings lead, Jamaica lost their three remaining wickets for the addition of 30 runs in 65 minutes and 14.4 overs with Gareth Breese and Keith Hibbert, 56 and four respectively, failing to add to their overnight score as pacer Avishkar Salvi, three for 75 off 20 overs overnight and armed with the second new ball, removed both of them to finish with five for 95 off 26 overs.
In contrast to the second day when he dominated the bowling while stroking eight lovely boundaries, Breese, driving loosely at deliveries pitched outside the offstump, never looked at home and departed after 19 minutes at 243 for eight when he pushed forward tentatively and edged to third slip.
Ten minutes later, Hibbert was leg before wicket at 245 for nine and it was left to Daren Powell, who hooked Salvi for six behind square-leg, drove over mid-off for four and then elegantly drove the pacer all along the ground to wide long-off, and Jerome Taylor to increase the lead with a last-wicket partnership of 28 runs before he attempted to steer Lakshmipathy Balaji off the back foot and offered a simple catch to Ratra.
With India "A" hunting 284 to win off a minimum of 163 overs and time not a problem, Daren Powell, running in from the southern end, handed Jamaica a wonderful start when he knocked back Akash Chopra's leg stump with the third delivery of the innings.
On a day when their fielding and their catching was far from impressive, however, Jamaica dropped two catches, both off pacer David Bernard Jnr, and in doing so, muffed two good opportunities to really pressure India "A".
In a beautiful spell during which he dropped the ball on a good length and got it to cut away from the left-handers, Bernard nicked the outside edge of Connor Williams' bat and captain Robert Samuels at first slip floored a low catch with the batsman on five and the total 18 for one; and with the total on 38 for two, Christopher Gayle at second slip dropped another catch when Gautam Gambhir, on 24, played forward and was beaten off the pitch.
Fortunately for Jamaica, the first one did not cost too much as Bernard made it 32 for two when Williams attempted to hook and was bowled off the bottom edge.
The second one, however, lifted India "A's" chance of victory as Gambhir, looking confident and playing a few handsome strokes, scored another 23 runs and shared a threatening partnership of 51 with Ambati Rayudu before, after surviving two appeals for leg before wicket against the offspin of Breese, he swept once too often and was sent packing at 89 for three.
At that stage, Jamaica appeared on top.
In a beautiful display of driving, however, Rayudu, 66, and Hemang Badani, 26, took charge and appeared set to bat India "A" into a really strong position before Taylor and then Breese removed them to set up what could be an interesting finish.
Rayudu was bowled at 126 for four by an express delivery that cut into the batsman and hit the legstump; and after India had steadied themselves again with Kale joining Badani and stroking the ball confidently, Breese made it 176 for five when he tricked the left-handed Badani into driving at an offspinner pitched wide of the offstump and Robert Samuels, to the delight of the gathering, held onto the ball.
