GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):
JAMAICA EXHIBITED strong fighting qualities to emerge with a draw against title-holders Trinidad and Tobago on the final day of their TCL Group West Indies Under-19 match at Bourda yesterday.
Resuming at their overnight 29 for one, only nine runs ahead on second innings, Jamaica slipped to 113 for eight before recovering well to reach 174 for eight declared.
Set 155 to win in a minimum of 34 overs, T&T reached 109 for three to ensure a draw in the encounter.
Jamaica owed their recovery to an unbroken stand of 61 in 59 minutes between Cordel Simpson who hit 38 not out, and leg-spinner Marcelle Parchment who finished unbeaten on 12.
T&T seemed well in control as spinners Vishan Ramroop, with three for 34 and Sunil Narine, three for 46, wrecked the Jamaican batting.
Lost top scorer
Jamaica lost first innings top scorer Andre Creary (14), skipper Jamie Trenchfield (six) and Sheldon Powell (three) all to the bowling of left-arm spinner Visham Ramroop, while off-spinner Narine accounted for the hard-hitting Shacoya Thomas (three).
Marlon Johnson (60) and all-rounder Rasheed Outar (12) took the fight to the spin and pace attack employed by skipper Narine, as Jamaica moved to 100 for five at lunch, a lead of 80 runs.
On resumption, T&T snapped up quick wickets with Outar, leg before to pacer Jeewan Ramroop, and Johnson, caught by close-in fielder Akiel Timothy off Narine, after batting 171 minutes and facing 126 deliveries for his 60 which included six fours.
Wickets then fell steadily until Simpson and Parchment steadied the innings with their crucial partnership.
With T&T facing nervous final session, the left-handed Darren Bravo hit an unbeaten 40 and Timothy, an unbeaten 20, to avert an hiccups for the defending champions.
At the Police Sports Club, Barbados beat the Windward Islands by an innings and seven runs early on the third day of their first-round match.
Scores
WINDWARD ISLANDS: 147 (Lauron Francois 45, Keddy Lesporis 24; Kemar Roach 5-44, Jonathan Carter 2-9) & 190 (Lauron Francois 73, Donwell Hector 28, Gary Prince 20 not out; Adrian Maynard 4-37, Kemar Roach 3-36, Shamarh Brooks 3-37).
BARBADOS: 344 for four declared (Jed Yearwood 186, Roger Williams 58, Shamarh Brooks 29 not out, Jonathan Carter 28).
At Everest Ground: Guyana beat the Leeward Islands by six wicket.
LEEWARDS: 107 (Chesney Hughes 55; Troy Gonsalves 5-30, Krishna Deosaran 2-12) and 264 (Orlando Peters 48; Veerasammy Permaul 5-57, Steven Jacobs 3-54).
GUYANA: 262 (Richard Ramdeen 61, Shemroy Barrington 55, Ryan Hercules 32 not out; Chad Hampson 5-44, Chesney Hughes 2-44) and 115 for four (Gajanand Singh 54 not out, Shemroy Barrington 21; Kelbert Walters 3-23).
