By Tony Becca, Contributing EditorJAMAICA TICKED off their first victory in the 2004 Carib Beer Cricket Series with a comfortable six-wicket victory over Guyana at Sabina Park yesterday.
Set a winning target of 103 runs with 35 overs to go before the end of the third day's play, Jamaica, paced by Tamar Lambert, 19, David Bernard Jnr, 25 not out and captain Gareth Breese 27 not out off 17 deliveries, knocked off the runs with nine overs remaining and a day to spare.
Final score, Guyana 222 (corrected from 221) and 150, Jamaica 270 and 107 for four.
In winning the match Jamaica, who dropped first innings points in their drawn first round match against the Windward Islands, are now on 15 points from two matches while Guyana, beaten by Barbados in their opening match, are still to get off the mark.
With Guyana resuming on 14 for one and trailing by 34 runs, Jamaica, led by fast bowler Andrew Richardson, medium pacer Bernard, offspinner Breese and fast bowler Evon McInnis, moved in quickly and at lunch the visitors were struggling at 81 for five.
After the break, Jamaica continued to pile on the pressure and with 50 minutes to go to tea, Guyana were 119 for nine in the 47th over.
At that stage, Guyana led by only 71 and with only one wicket to get, Jamaica were running hot and appeared set to cruise to victory long before the close.
Although there will be no fourth day, and even though Jamaica finished with as many as six wickets in hand before it was all over, Guyana's captain Neil McGarrell and pacers Royon Thomas and Rayon Griffith gave them some anxious moments.
Joining the action at 65 for five, McGarrell stood in the breach, played some wonderful strokes, scored 66 not out with seven boundaries and shared a last-wicket partnership of 31 with Thomas.
The Guyanese pacers, however, gave their team a glimmer of hope when Thomas removed Hibbert - caught by wicketkeeper Vishal Nagamootoo at 15 for one, and even more so when Griffith ripped out Brenton Parchment's offstump at 23 for two.
Batting confidently, however, Bernard and Lambert took Jamaica to 58 before Lambert pushed forward to McGarrell and was caught by Dowlin at silly point in the 15th over; and after Mario Ventura, also pushing forward to McGarrell, was caught by Dowlin at forward short leg at 74 for four in the 23rd over.
Breese walked out and stroked fours, three in one over from McGarrell, before hitting Mahendra Nagamootoo over wide long-on to end the proceedings.
