Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
Jamaica's Nikita Miller (second right) celebrates with teammates after taking his third wicket on the third day of their Carib Beer Series match against the Leeward Islands at Kensington Oval yesterday. Miller took 3-34. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE CARIB Beer Cup cricket match between Jamaica and the Leeward Islands enters its fourth and final day at Kensington Park today with the promise of an exciting finish.
When rain ended play at 3.10 p.m. yesterday, the scoreboard read: the Leeward Islands 196 and 214 for eight, Jamaica 223.
With the visitors leading by 187 with two wickets in hand, the game is wide open with the odds slightly in favour of the home team.
On a bright, sunny and windy day up to the sudden downpour, the Leeward Islands, thanks to a solid innings of 88 by opening batsman Shane Jeffers, were going well on 127 for two at lunch before Jamaica, led by left-arm spinner Nikita Miller and offspinner Gareth Breese, cut them down and left the contest nicely balanced.
Miller, who joined the attack minutes before lunch, and Breese, who bowled his first delivery of the day after the interval, picked up three wickets each with Miller, who pocketed his three in the third and fifth overs after lunch, finishing with three wickets for 34 runs off 21 overs, and Breese, who picked up the last three, ending the day with three for 60 off 24 overs.
Bowling a tidy length and line from over the wicket and pitching on or around leg stump, Miller removed captain Sylvester Joseph, Tonito Willett and Wilden Cornwall one behind the other as the three right-handers slit their own throats.
After playing a few handsome strokes before the interval, Joseph attempted to hit Miller over mid-wicket and was bowled for 26 at 129 for three, Willett went back to a short delivery, tapped the ball into Danza Hyatt's hands at short leg and departed for zero at 133 for four, and Cornwall went first ball at 133 for five when he played forward and was caught by Hyatt at short-leg.
With the left-handed Jeffers and Omari Banks batting well, the Leeward Islands recovered nicely and eased to 180 for five before Breese stepped in with his three wickets.
Minutes after Jeffers had driven Miller over long-off for six, Banks attempted a big hit off Breese and lofted a catch to Bernard at long-on.
That was 180 for six, and after smashing Breese for a six over mid-wicket, after stroking six fours and blasting two sixes in an innings that had so far lasted for 300 minutes and 205 deliveries, Jeffers played forward to the offspinner bowling around the wicket, missed the ball, and was leg before wicket at 196 for seven.
Wicket number eight, the last of the day, fell four runs later at 200 for eight when Gavin Tonge, beaten by the flight of the ball, drove a return catch to Breese.
Minutes before the rain, fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who had replaced Miller, was removed from the attack after bowling a beamer - his second of the innings - to the Leeward Islands' number 10 batsmen Alderman Lesmond.
SCOREBOARD
LEEWARDS 1st Innings 196
(R Morton 62; A Richardson 5-32)
JAMAICA 1st Innings 223
(T Lambert 51; O Banks 5-76)
LEEWARDS 2nd Innings
(overnight 46 for 1)
S Jeffers lbw Breese 88
A Richards run out (Bernard) 18
R Morton run out (Bernard) 14
S Joseph b Miller 26
T Willett c Hyatt b Miller 0
W Cornwall c Hyatt b Miller 0
O Banks c Bernard b Breese 26
C Simon not out 24
G Tonge c&b Breese 1
+A Lesmond not out 3
Extras (b4, lb6, nb5) 15
TOTAL (for 8 wkts) 215
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-67, 3-129, 4-133, 5-133, 6-180, 7-196, 8-200.
Bowling: Taylor 13-5-28-0 (3nb); Richardson 11-1-37-0; Breese 24.4-3-62-3; Bernard 5-0-22-0 (2nb); Brown 12-1-22-0; Miller 21-6-34-3.
UMPIRES: Cecil Fletcher, Vincent Bullen.
