Guyana snapped their four-game losing streak and held title-holders Jamaica to a draw, in their sixth-round WICB Regional Four-day match, which ended yesterday at the National Stadium.

The Jamaicans tried to engineer an outright result with a mid-afternoon declaration, but the home side got half-centuries from key batsmen with West Indies experience and reached 159 for four at the close after they were set 272 to win in less than two sessions.

Ahead by 139 runs on first innings after they restricted Guyana to 302 all out in reply to their total of 441 for eight declared, the Jamaicans pushed to 132 for eight declared in their second innings and their victory bid was thwarted by the left-handers Leon Johnson (58) and Narsingh Deonarine (51 not out).

Jamaica picked up six points from gaining first innings honours and lost the championship lead to Barbados, who climbed to 51 points - from six games - with a victory on Sunday over Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC).

Jamaica are second on 48 points with a game in hand, with the Windward Islands third on 36 points and Trinidad and Tobago fourth on 33 points.

Guyana, beaten by the Windwards, CCC, Leeward Islands and Barbados in their earlier games, remain at the bottom of the table on seven points.

Guyana's first innings had folded quickly in the morning when captain Travis Dowlin (72) was bowled by pacer Andrew Richardson in the day's second over.

Top bowler

Shuffling across his stumps, Dowlin was bowled by a delivery that cut back into him after he had added just one run to his overnight score of 71.

Guyana added just one run to their overnight position of 301 for nine.

Richardson finished as the top bowler with three for 48 off 11.3 overs, while left-arm spinner Nikita Miller (3-64) and leg-spinner Odean Brown (2-53) shared five wickets.

Jamaica made a dreadful start to their second innings as pacer Esaun Crandon dramatically removed Brenton Parchment and No.3 batsman Donovan Pagon in the first over without a run on the board.

Parchment, who scored 105 in the first innings, pushed a catch to Deonarine at mid-on and Pagon was bowled by a delivery that cut back into him and rattled his middle and off stumps.

Struggling Xavier Marshall, dropped from the West Indies team because of poor form, added 49 for the third wicket with captain Tamar Lambert before Deonarine dislodged him for 23 via a straightforward return catch.

The Crandon brothers then combined to remove Wavell Hinds at 90 for four, the left-hander pulling a short ball from Esaun to wide long on where Royston ran in off the boundary and took the catch.

Rain took the players off the field immediately after the Hinds dismissal for an early lunch at 11:48 a.m. local time.

Lambert, who had survived a chance on nine, went on to stroke a brisk 59 off 77 balls as the Jamaicans quickened the pace after lunch, trying to fashion an outright result in limited time.

But wickets fell regularly in the rush for runs, with Lambert and Keith Hibbert (8) both going by the run-out route, while Royston Crandon's off spin dislodged Dave Bernard (4) and Odean Brown (1) cheaply.

Jamaica declared just over half an hour into the post-lunch session with Royston Crandon finishing as the best Guyanese bowler with three for 39 off 8.1 overs, backed up by Esaun Crandon (2-16) and Deonarine (1-22).

70 for two at tea

Set 272 to win, Guyana reached 70 for two at tea after Man of the Match Bernard (1-6) removed Royston Crandon (1) and Wallace (1-38) got rid of Shemroy Barrington (31) both via lbw decisions.

Johnson and Deonarine then linked up for an important 58-run stand after tea that ended when Johnson fell to Brown (1-55).

In the seventh round starting Friday, Jamaica travel to face the Windward Islands in Dominica and Guyana will be at home to Trinidad and Tobago.