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Stabroek News

Jamaica lose nail-biter
published: Saturday | February 3, 2007


Barbados' Wayne Blackman celebrates his century against Jamaica in KFC Cup one-day match at Kensington Oval yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

Jamaica slipped to their second defeat in the regional KFC one-day cricket tournament when Barbados pipped them in an exciting finish at Kensington Park yesterday.

Powered by two brilliant innings, one by newcomer Wayne Blackman, who smashed 121 off 142 deliveries, and one by old-timer Floyd Reifer, who stroked 112 off 129 deliveries, Barbados chipped to 284 for six off their allotted 50 overs, and then, after a fine start of 117 without loss in the 21st over by Jamaica, limited the home team to 280 for nine in their 50 overs to win the match by the narrow margin of four runs.

Going into the last over, Jamaica needed 18 runs to win, and after Odean Brown had driven the second delivery from pacer Kevin Stoute over long-off for six, after Bevon Brown had driven the fifth delivery over cover for four, it came down to five runs needed off the last delivery when the batsman swung, missed, and was bowled.

After defeating the Leeward Islands with five wickets in hand and the Windward Islands, also with five wickets in hand, and after losing to Guyana by 40 runs, Jamaica lost their second match in a row, and will now have to win their final match against Trinidad and Tobago in order to win a place in the semi-finals.

Batting first in glorious sunshine and on a good pitch for batting after Jamaica had won the toss and elected to field first, Barbados lost the aggressive Dale Richards for two at two for one in the first over when the batsman, the man who had blasted 159 off Jamaica in the four-day encounter at Chedwin Park a few days ago, drove at fast bowler Jermaine Lawson and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr.

Four overs later, it was 16 for two when number three batsman Stoute drove Lawson straight to Tamar Lambert at mid-on, and at that stage, just as they did at the start of the Jamaica innings, Barbados appeared in trouble.

On a day when they hit 11 sixes, however, four off right-arm leg-spinner Odean Brown who conceded 35 runs off three overs, three off Lawson who grabbed five wickets for 65 runs off his 10 overs, two off part-time off-spinner Lambert, who gave up 42 runs off seven overs while picking up one wicket, one off off-spinner Bevon Brown who was knocked about for 58 runs off his 10 overs, and one off medium-pacer David Bernard Jnr. whose seven overs cost 35 runs, Barbados recovered brilliantly with the 31-year-old Blackman, playing in only his second one-day match for Barbados, and the 34-year-old left-hander Reifer, veteran of many one-day games, sharing a magnificent third-wicket partnership of 217 in 40 overs.

Batting for 183 minutes, Blackman blasted five sixes and nine fours in ticking off his first century before he charged Lambert and was stumped by Baugh at 233 for three in the 45th over.

Mighty shots

Two of Blackman's sixes, one off Bernard, which flew over the northern sightscreen, and one off Lawson, which also sailed over the northern sightscreen, were mighty shots which sent the balls so far they were never found and therefore never returned.

Batting for 185 minutes, Reifer smashed four sixes and stroked six fours in chalking up his second century before he went at Lawson and was caught by Lorenzo Ingram at 275 for five in the 48th over.

Although Lawson picked up a handful of wickets, and even though he failed to pick up any, left-arm spinner Nikita Miller was undoubtedly Jamaica's best bowler.

Bowling from the south after replacing Bevon Brown - the off-spinner who opened the Jamaica bowling with Lawson, Miller bowled a good length and line, and in 10 consecutive overs during which he kept the batsmen quiet despite the fireworks at the other end, he conceded a mere 19 runs.

Good start

With Brenton Parchment striking the ball well and dancing to 68 off 63 deliveries before he chipped at left-arm spinner Ryan Hinds and was stumped by Carlos Morris, and with left-hander Ingram batting cautiously, Jamaica got off to good start and looked ready for the challenge before they lost three wickets for 14 runs in three overs.

Five runs and one over after the departure of Parchment, who struck 11 fours and one six, debutant Shane Powell was on his way, the diminutive batsman going back, hitting a short delivery from right-arm leg-spinner, debutant Shamarh Brooks, to Suleiman Benn at short mid-wicket and walking away for two at 122 for two.

Nine runs after that, and in the following over from Brooks, Ingram, on 36, made it 131 for three in the 24th over when he pounced on to another short delivery and hit it straight to captain Ryan Hinds at short mid-wicket.

At the half-way mark, after 25 overs, Jamaica were 135 for three, and with 150 runs to get from 25 overs, the odds were against the home team.

With captain Wavell Hinds, 46 off 61 deliveries, and Lambert, 24, at the crease, however, there was some hope, and the small gathering kept cheering on the home team.

At 171, however, Lambert was run out in 33rd over; at 194, Bernard, hooking at pacer Tino Best, was caught at long-leg by Brooks for nine; after two lovely sixes by Wavell Hinds in one over off Benn, Baugh was run out at 239 for six; and when Wavell Hinds, driving off the back-foot, edged Best to wicketkeeper Morris and eventually walked away at 243 for eight in 46th over, the writing appeared on the wall.

That, however, was before the bold effort by Bevon Brown and Odean Brown which took Jamaica to within one stroke of victory.

SCOREBOARD

BARBADOS innings

D. Richards c wkp Baugh b Lawson

2
W. Blackman st Baugh b Lambert 121
K. Stoute c Lambert b Lawson 1
F. Reifer c Ingram b Lawson 112
A. Holder c Powell b Lawson 18
R. Hinds not out 2
+C. Morris b Lawson 8
Extras (b2, lb2, w11, nb5) 20
TOTAL (6 wkts, 50 overs) 284

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-16, 2-233, 4-258, 5-275, 6-284.

Did not bat: S. Brooks, S. Benn, T. Best, F. Edwards.

Bowling: Lawson 10-0-66-5 (w6, nb1), B. Brown 10-0-58-0, Bernard 7-0-38-0 (nb2), Miller 10-2-19-0 (nb1), Hinds 3-0-22-0 (nb1), O. Brown 3-0-35-0, Lambert 7-0-42-1 (w5).

JAMAICA innings

L. Ingram c Hinds b Brooks

36
B. Parchment st Morris b Hinds 68
S. Powell c Benn b Brooks 2
W. Hinds c wkp Morris b Best 46
T. Lambert run out 24
D. Bernard c Brooks b Best 9
+C. Baugh run out 23
N. Miller b Best 0
B. Brown b Stoute 20
O. Brown not out 15
Extras (b1, lb10, w19, nb7) 37
TOTAL (9 wkts, 50 overs) 280

Fall of wickets: 1-118, 2-122 , 3-132, 4-171, 5-194, 6-239, 2-242, 8-243, 9-280.

Bowling: Best 10-0-52-3 (w10, nb2), Edwards 10-0-42-0 (w3, nb1), Stoute 4-0-44-1 (w4), Benn 10-0-50-0, Hinds 10-0-51-1 (w2, nb4), Brooks 6-0-30-2.

Result: Barbados won by five runs.

Points: Barbados 4, Jamaica 0.

Toss: Jamaica.

Umpires: Maurice Chung, Goaland Greaves.

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