By Tony Becca, Contributing Editor 
Jamaica Skipper Wavell Hinds hooks for runs during the Carib Beer Series match against Barbados at Chedwin Park yesterday. Hinds is unbeaten on 144. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
THE FOUR-DAY Carib Beer Series cricket match between Jamaica and Barbados enters its second day at Chedwin Park today with the home team in a commanding position.
At stumps on yesterday's first day, Jamaica, needing six points to clinch the title, were going well on 310 for four with captain Wavell Hinds on 144 not out after sharing a brilliant partnership with Marlon Samuels who fell for 74 a few minutes before the end of the day's play.
Coming together with Ja-maica on 76 for two in the 27th over after losing Christopher Gayle for 12 at 21 for one in the seventh over and Donovan Pagon for 31, Hinds and Samuels posted 194 off 52 overs for the third wicket with the best of both batsmen, as far as exciting stroke play was concerned, coming after tea when they posted 105 off 20 overs.
SET FOR BIG TOTAL
With 71 points in the bag and a lead of 19 points, Jamaica entered the match needing first innings points to clinch the title.
With only four wickets down, with Hinds not out and batting well, and David Bernard Jnr. at the crease, Carlton Baugh Jnr. and Gareth Breese to come, Jmaica are well-positioned to post a total that, with their bowling, could be out of Barbados' reach.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, after finding themselves up against some good pace bowling by Corey Collymore, Ian Bradshaw, and despite some wayward deliveries, also Tino Best, and after losing Gayle, Jamaica settled in nicely with Hinds setting the pace and getting good support.
Besides Samuels, who batted for 215 minutes while facing 164 deliveries, stroking seven fours and hitting one six, Pagon also supported well while batting for 91 minutes and facing 51 deliveries.
FIFTH TON FOR JA
In ticking off his fifth century for Jamaica in the regional competition and his first since chipping to 101 against Barba-dos at Kensington Oval in 2001, Hinds, who opened the innings with Gayle, has so far batted for 382 minutes, faced 290 deliveries, stroked 13 fours and smashed four sixes all off left-arm spinner Ryan Hinds.
For those who love to hear the sweet sound of bat on ball, for those who love to see the ball racing to the boundary, Chedwin Park was not the place to be for half the day yesterday as Jamaica battled for control after losing Gayle and Pagon.
With Gayle falling to Collymore when a back foot shot intended for the onside flew off the leading edge and ended up in Bradshaw's hands at extra-cover, with Pagon, after an exquisite drive off Bradshaw to the cover boundary, driving at Best and nicking a low catch to wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, Jamaica scored 74 runs off 26 overs before lunch and 41 off 16 overs in the hour after lunch.
With Hinds reeling off two lovely square-cuts off successive deliveries from pacer Dwayne Smith while moving from 43 to 51, however, with Samuels easing onto the front foot and driving the unfortunate Ryan Hinds over extra-cover for six, Jamaica scored 50 runs in the hour to tea.
That, however, was nothing compared to the batting display after tea as Jamaica, coming back after the interval on 165 for two and apparently feeling good, stepped up the pace.
THREE SIXES
Samuels signalled the charge with two superb drives off Bradshaw one through cover and one straight back past the bowler.
Wavell Hinds, who had welcomed Ryan Hinds with a drive over long-off before lunch, answered with three sixes off the left-hander and some fluent strokes off his pads including one off Bradshaw that flashed to the backward square-leg boundary.
Unfortunately for Jamaica, in a session during which they scored 145 runs off 31 overs, they also lost two wickets.
Samuels, dropped at 55 and 73, drove carelessly at Ryan Hinds and was caught by Bradshaw at mid-off at 270 for three and Tamar Lambert was leg before wicket to Smith at 282 for four.
SCOREBOARD
JAMAICA 1st Innings
W. Hinds not out 144
C. Gayle c Bradshaw b Collymore 12
D. Pagon c wkp Browne b Best 31
M. Samuels c Bradshaw
b Hinds 74
T. Lambert lbw b Smith 7
D. Bernard not out 17
Extras (b1, lb2, w5, nb17) 25
TOTAL (4 wkts, 89 overs) 310
Wkts fell at: 1-21, 2-76, 3-270, 4-281.
Bowling: Collymore 15-5-24-1 (nb1), Best 9-0-54-1 (nb9), Bradshaw 16-4-55-0
(nb2), Hinds 31-4-112-1 (nb5), Smith 16-4-57-1, Nurse 2-1-5-0.
Toss: Jamaica.
Umpires: Norman Malcolm, Arnold Christopher.
