Sidelined West Indies captain, Chris Gayle, was in spanking form at Kensington Park yesterday, slamming a shot-filled 155 before retiring hurt, in the third and penultimate trial match to select Jamaica's team for next month's regional one-day championship.

Hitting the ball to all parts of the ground, Gayle tallied 13 fours and three towering sixes in his 79-ball, two-hour knock as his team, Gayle XI, defeated Brenton Parchment XI by six wickets.

Parchment XI first made 303-5 off their allotted 50 overs and Gayle XI replied with 307-4.

Good to be back

"It feels good to be back into the groove. The ball was coming well off the bat and I was enjoying my batting. It's good to know that I am still in form," said Gayle, who has been out of competitive action for a while and is expected to lead Jamaica in the championship, which will again be staged in Guyana.

"I am physically fit and the aim now is to get the mind in good condition heading into the regional tournament," he added.

Gayle, who is expected to lead the team in the absence of regular captain Tamar Lambert who, along with St Catherine CC teammate Bevon Brown, was banned for five and three domestic matches, respectively, due to indiscipline in the national two-day Super League championship earlier this season, shared an impressive 182-run opening stand with former national youth standout, Zeniffe Fowler, who fell three runs short of what would have been a deserved century.

Team fell apart

However, after the two left the scene, their team fell apart with Berreston Reid (15), Donovan Pagon (six retired hurt), Carlton Baugh (four), Simon Jackson (one), all departing without significantly adding to the score.

It then took a typically aggressive 23-ball 37 not out, including five fours, from Danza Hyatt, and 10 not out from Andre Russell, to bring Gayle XI home. Part-time off-spinner Parchment took 2-52 off 10 overs.

Earlier, Xavier Marshall with a 47-ball 73, Shawn Findlay, 60, former national youth openers Jon Ross Campbell, 66, and Horace Miller, 42, led the way for Parchment XI.

Gayle, Andrew Richardson, Danza Hyatt and Odean Brown all claimed one wicket each.

The fourth and final trial match will be held today at Kensington.