BRIDGETOWN, Barbados CMC):

SLOW BOWLERS Nikita Miller and Chris Gayle shared four Barbados wickets between them to help Jamaica take a firmer grip on the Carib Beer Cup yesterday.

Left-arm spinner Miller collected two wickets for 33 runs from 16 overs and Gayle, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin, captured two for 47 from 18 overs, as Jamaica restricted Barbados to 176 for five in their second innings when stumps were drawn on the second day of their fifth-round match at Kensington Oval.

The Jamaicans could virtually sew up the match and the Championship on today's third day, since the Barbadians now lead by a modest 89 with five second innings wickets standing, after they had dismissed the visitors for 257, replying to the hosts' first innings total of 167.

Crucial intervention

Though Jamaica and West Indies captain Gayle scalped left-handers Jason Haynes and Ryan Hinds, it was Miller's intervention which was crucial in the transformation of the match.

Miller dismissed opener Dale Richards for a stroke-filled 98 and Barbados captain Dwayne Smith for eight in the final 40 minutes as the home team slumped from the comfort of 155 for two to 163 for five.

The Jamaica bowling appeared to be fodder for Richards. He struck eight fours and five sixes from 137 balls in 3-1/4 hours before he top-edged a slog/sweep, and Daren Powell held a fine catch running back at mid-wicket.

The Jamaicans bowled purpose-fully, but Richards stay at the crease was very fruitful for Barbados, since he added 54 for the first wicket with Haynes and 84 for the third wicket with Hinds.

Dave Bernard was the grieving bowler, when Richards reached his 50 with a square cut for four through backward point, but the Barbadian opener's most mem-orable stroke was a lofted drive over long-off off Powell for the first of his sixes which brought the crowd to its feet in awe, and left the Jamaica and West Indies fast bowler a little pale in the face.

Breakthrough

Gayle had made the breakthrough for Jamaica, when Haynes was caught at short leg for 18 before Patrick Browne was caught behind off Bernard for three driving loosely at a delivery outside the off-stump to leave Barbados on 71 for two.

For close to one and a half hours, Jamaica found it difficult to make further headway. Hinds joined Richards and they defied the visitors' attack with aplomb before the former Barbados captain literally gifted his wicket, when he was caught at long-on for 33 off the same bowler.

This sprung the Jamaicans to life and Miller put them in a stronger position when he removed Richards and bowled Smith with a 'groundhog'.

Earlier, Jamaica continued from their bedtime total of 149 for seven and took first innings points in the first half-hour, when Tamar Lambert pulled a short ball from Pedro Collins through mid-wicket for four.

Lambert found a steady ally in Miller, and they helped to boost Jamaica's lead in an eighth-wicket stand of 83 that dominated the entire morning period.

But Miller spoiled his hard work, when he was adjudged lbw to Fidel Edwards for 32 playing across a full-length delivery - the last ball before lunch to leave Jamaica 219 for eight.

After the interval, it took just close to 40 minutes for the Jamaica innings to come to a close, but not before Lambert reached his 50 with a boundary through the off-side off Collins.

Lambert was eventually caught at extra cover off the medium-pace of Smith, who brought the Jamaica innings to a close, when he had Jerome Taylor caught at mid-wicket for seven.

Collins was the most successful Barbados bowler with four wickets for 62 runs from 19 overs, Edwards supported with two for 43 from 11 overs, and Smith snared two for 49 from 13 overs.

AT ROSEAU, Dominica, :Trinidad & Tobago, responding to Windward Islands' 294, were 211 for six at the close on the second day of their fifth round Carib Beer Series match at the Windsor Park Stadium.

Scores: WINDWARDS 294 (Lyndon James 66, Devon Smith 52, Donwell Hector 43, Deighton Butler 41 not out; Amit Jaggernauth 5-73, Ravi Rampaul 2-55). T&T 211-6 (William Perkins 52, Lendl Simmons 39, Bravo 29, Kieron Pollard 28, Daren Ganga 24; Shane Shillingford 3-63).

AT GEORGETOWN, Com-bined Campuses & Colleges, responding to Guyana's 421 all out, were 29 without loss when bad light and rain forced a premature end to the second day of their fifth round Carib Beer Series match at the National Stadium at Providence.

Scores: GUYANA 421 (Shivnarine Chanderpaul 207 not out, Leon Johnson 94, Sewnarine Chattergoon 38, Travis Dowlin 36; Jamal Noel 6-101). COMBINED CAMPUSES & COLLEGES 29-0

Barbados first innings 167

Jamaica first innings

(Resumed at 149-7)

T. Lambert c Hinds b Smith 61 N. Miller lbw Edwards32 J. Taylor c Benn b Smith 7

D. Powell not out 1

Extras: (b12, lb6, w2, nb22) 42 TOTAL: (all out) 257

Fall: 1-0, 2-31, 3-62, 4-123, 5-128, 6-132, 7-136, 8-219, 9-256.

Bowling: Collins 19-3-62-4, Edwards 11-0-43-2, *Smith 13-0-49-2, Benn 21-11-36-1, Hinds 13-2-36-1, Roach 2-0-13-0.

Barbados second innings

D. Richards c Powell b Miller 98 J. Haynes c Lambert b Gayle 18 P. Browne c Baugh b Bernard 3 R. Hinds c Bernard b Gayle 33 D. Smith b Miller 8 K. Stoute not out 8 A. Holder not out 6 Extras: (lb2, nb1) 3 TOTAL: (for five wkts) 177 Fall: 1-54, 2-71, 3-155, 4-155, 5-163.

Bowling: Taylor 8-4-23-0, Powell 6-2-32-0, Bernard 7-2-40-1, *Gayle 18-4-47-2, Miller 16-3-33-2.

Position: Barbados lead by 87 runs with five second innings wickets standing.