Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
Jamaica's wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr. (right) takes evasive action after Leeward Islands batsman Javier Liburd hooks the ball during action on the first day of the Carib Beer Series cricket match at Sabina Park, yesterday. Liburd top-scored with 43.

Tony Becca, Contributing Editor

Jamaica got off to a promising start in their bid to win the 2008 Carib Beer Cup with a solid performance against the Leeward Islands at Sabina Park yesterday.

Led by right-arm leg-spinner Odean Brown, who garnered five wickets for 31 runs off 21.1 overs, some good pace bowling by André Russell and David Bernard Jr., with one for 35 off 11 and one for 15 off 10 overs, respectively, and some spin bowling by left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, with three for 42 off 20 overs, Jamaica nailed the visitors for 155 off 68.1 overs. After looking good at 48 without loss, Jamaica were 59 for two off 21 overs at stumps.

Xavier Marshall was on 27 and night watchman Russell on zero.

No match

After winning the toss on the opening day of the four-day contest, the batsmen of the Leeward Islands proved no match for the bowlers of Jamaica and, but for Javier Liburd, who stroked an impressive 43, and the experienced Tonito Willett who, batting at number four, scored a delightful 53, it would have been an embarrassing day for the visitors.

Stroking the ball nicely, the 20-year-old Liburd faced 89 deliveries, batted for 131 minutes and stroked six boundaries before he was trapped leg before wicket by Brown at 80 for three.

Willett, son of the former West Indies left-arm spin bowler Elquemedo Willett, faced 188 deliveries and batted for 189 minutes. He stroked three fours, and hit one six, a lovely straight drive off Miller, before he was last man out when he drove at Brown, and Marshall, diving forward at backward point, came up with a brilliant low catch.

On a day when pacer Jermaine Lawson was off target and conceded 41 runs off his six overs, Russell and Bernard, Miller and Brown bowled well as Jamaica, but for the last 10 overs, dominated the entire day.

Left with a minimum of 21 overs to the end of the day's play, Jamaica started with Xavier Marshall and Keith Hibbert and were going well until Hibbert hooked at pacer Lionel Baker, mistimed the shot, and skied a catch, which was gratefully accepted by wicketkeeper Devon Thomas.

That was 48 for one in the 12th over. On a pitch that had a little life in it, a pitch off which the ball bounced awkwardly a few times at the southern end, and on a pitch with some generous bounce, it became 58 for two minutes from the end when, in the 20th over, the left-handed Brendan Nash, playing in his first first-class match for Jamaica, attempted to square-cut off-spinner Omari Banks, and knocked the ball on to his stumps.