Tony Becca, Senior Sport EditorTHE CRICKET match between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in the Busta series moves into its third day at Chedwin Park today with the home team struggling and in danger of dropping first innings points for the first time this season. At stumps on yesterday's second day, the scoreboard read: Trinidad and Tobago 177, Jamaica 106 for six, and although Gareth Breese is still there on 27 and batting well, although Nehemiah Perry is also still there, and although the hard-hitting Franklyn Rose is to come, with 72 runs to get and only four wickets in hand, the odds, based on the evidence of yesterday afternoon, are against the home team conquering the spin of the visitors on a responsive pitch and pocketing first innings points.
After sharing the honours on the shortened opening day and then picking up Trinidad and Tobago's remaining six wickets for 65 runs yesterday, Jamaica were going well on 39 without loss with Leon Garrick and Christopher Gayle stroking the ball confidently.
After reeling off two lovely backfoot shots through the offside, however, one off offspinner Mukesh Persad and one off legspinner Dinanath Ramnarine, Gayle was trapped leg before by Persad for 25 at 39 for one.
That was like a signal to Ramnarine - the man rated as the best spin bowler in the West Indies.
Bowling from the south, the wily Ramnarine picked off Brenton Parchment - caught by Gregory Mahabir at silly point for seven at 56 for two, Wayne Cuff - caught and bowled first ball at 56 for three, Robert Samuels, going for a big hit - caught by Rajendra Dhanraj coming in at mid-off for zero at 60 for four, and Gayle, going for a big hit - caught by Mahabir at a short and straight midwicket for 32 at 77 for five.
It was 92 for six when Dhanraj beat Keith Hibbert through the air and an attempted on-drive lobbed to Lincoln Roberts at mid-on.
But for Breese, Jamaica's first innings would probably have been already over and if he continues in the same vein today, if Jamaica manage to win first innings points, if they go on to win the match, his colleagues should raise a special toast to him.
An under-performer with the bat for Jamaica, the former Jamaica Youth and West Indies Youth captain demonstrated his skill in a performance which must have pleased his supporters.
So far, Breese has stroked five boundaries, each of them was from the book, the first one, a chip-and-drive to the long-on boundary, was brilliant, the fourth, a back-foot drive through the covers off Ramnarine, was authentic, and the last one, another chip-and-drive, this time through extra-cover, was sheer class.
Resuming on 112 for four yesterday, Trinidad and Tobago lost two early wickets when Richard Smith chipped to Gayle and was caught by Ryan Cunningham at long-on for 44 at 120 for six and when Gregory Mahabir shouldered arms to the offspinner and went away for zero at 120 for six.
For Trinidad and Tobago, the only worthwhile resistance came from nightwatchman Dhanraj who stroked three boundaries while scoring 28 before he was caught by Samuels at slip off Perry at 168 for eight.
