SAMUELS
JAMAICA'S CHAIRMAN of selectors, Ruddy Williams, has mixed feelings about the players' performances so far during the practice matches to help select the country's team for the regional one-day cricket competition in Guyana.
"The batsmen are batting much better than how they started out and it's a good sign," Williams told The Gleaner at the end of yesterday's match at Up Park Camp where more than 540 runs were scored.
"The problem now is to get the lower order batsmen to get a knock tomorrow (today) and Sunday," he said.
However, Williams believes there is serious work to be done in the fielding and bowling departments.
"The fielding needs to be tighten up .... today I wasn't happy with the fielding," he said.
"The bowling area we have to address too ... they are not bowling with a plan, they just come and bowl and hope that something happen."
The fourth practice match will be played at the same venue today and the final one on Sunday at Melbourne, after which the team will be named.
Dean Morgan, 70, and Tyson Gordon, 55, led Wavell Hinds' XI to a impressive six-wicket victory over Tamar Lambert's XI with a 120-run unbroken fifth wicket stand.
In reply to Lambert's XI 273 for three off 50 overs, Hinds' XI secured victory at 274 for four in 49.1 overs.
Keith Hibbert, who hit a 51-ball 50 which included six fours and one six, added 78 for the third wicket with Morgan, whose unbeaten knock came off 80 deliveries and was laced with six fours.
Gordon's knock also came at a crucial stage, this as his 45-ball innings, which included five fours and two sixes, pulled Hinds' XI from well behind the required run-rate.
Hinds had earlier made 33 as Xavier Marshall's failures continued. He made six, as did Danza Hyatt.
Bevon Brown bowled impressively for 2-31 off 10 overs but all the other bowlers went for more than five runs per over.
Earlier, when Lambert's XI batted, Marlon Samuels and Zaniffe Fowler stole the spotlight as they shared in a 154-run second wicket stand after Gary Graham had fallen for 17.
Samuels top scored with 91, which included nine fours and two sixes from 106 balls, while Fowler got 66 with three sixes and two fours from 115 deliveries.
Carlton Baugh chipped 45 not out off just 25 deliveries. He struck three sixes and three fours.
Again, the bowlers struggled and only Dwight Stewart (2-38) impressed.
