Jamaica, Barbados battle for first innings

GROS ISLET, St Lucia, (CMC):

A stubborn 67-run seventh-wicket partnership put Barbados within sight of first-innings points against Jamaica on a rain-hit second day of their final-round TCL Group West Indies Under-19 Challenge match yesterday.

Struggling at 145 for six in the final session in reply to Jamaica's 259, all-rounder Justin Greaves and Mario Rampersad came to their side's rescue to propel them to 212 for six at the close at the Gros Islet Playing Field.

Earlier, Jamaica failed to build on their overnight 227 for six and added just 32 additional runs before being dismissed.

Left-arm seamer Ravindra Persaud finished with five for 42, while lively medium pacer Kyle Mayers picked up three for 50.

Barbados then squandered a solid start to find themselves floundering in the late evening as leg-spinner Donovan Nelson tore through the innings to finish with four for 81.

Greaves then struck a crucial unbeaten 40 and Rampersad, 29, to frustrate the Jamaican attack.

While Greaves counted five fours off 131 balls in just over two hours at the crease, Rampersad stroked three fours in an innings that spanned 81 balls and 101 minutes.

Their partnership left Barbados with just 47 runs to get to secure first-innings points on the final day Monday.

With rain stealing 52 minutes in the first session, Barbados crept to lunch at 17 without loss but afterwards, Clint St Hill (26) and captain Kraigg Brathwaite (20) batted soundly to provide a platform of 53 for the first wicket.

Quick succession

However, both fell in quick succession to leave Barbados struggling on 54 for two. St Hill fell first, bowled by one that kept low from fast bowler Nicholson Gordon, while Brathwaite edged Nelson to Jermaine Blackwood at first slip.

Roston Chase (4) followed at 78 for three before Barbados suffered a double blow with the score on 107, when Mayers was lbw playing back to the off-spinner Horane Linton for 33, and Shai Hope was stumped off Nelson for nine.

Dario Cummins struck two fours in 22 in adding 38 for the sixth wicket with Greaves before he was trapped lbw by Nelson.

Earlier, Persaud ensured a swift end to the Jamaica innings when he picked up two wickets in the day's first over.

Ramon Senior, unbeaten on 72 overnight, failed to add as he fell lbw to Persaud.

JAMAICA 1st Innings

(overnight 227 for six)

O Williams c Mayers b Persaud 13P Salmon lbw b Persaud 0P Palmer run out 20R Senior lbw b Persaud 72J Campbell c wkp Rampersad b Mayers 6J Blackwood c Persaud b Wilkinson 9+K Marshall c and b Persaud 59D Nelson c wkp Rampersad b Mayers 40N Gordon c Greaves b Persaud 6H Linton not out 12M Francis b Mayers 1Extras: (b7, lb4, w1, nb9) 21TOTAL: (all out, 98.1 overs) 259

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-20, 3-46, 4-49, 5-70, 6-153, 7-231, 8-237, 9-257, 10-259.

Bowling: Greaves 13-3-42-0, Persaud 15-5-41-5, Mayers 17.1-3-50-3, Chase 19-7-41-0, Warrican 22-13-31-0, Wilkinson 8-2-27-1, Cummins 3-0-15-0, Brathwaite 1-0-1-0.

BARBADOS 1st Innings

K Brathwaite c Blackwood b Nelson 20C St Hill b Gordon 26R Chase c Palmer b Nelson 4K Mayers lbw b Linton 33S Hope st Marshall b Nelson 9D Cummins lbw b Nelson 22J Greaves not out 40+M Rampersad not out 29Extras: (b1, lb7, w6, nb15) 29TOTAL: (6 wkts, 83 overs) 212

Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-54, 3-78, 4-107, 5-107, 6-145.

To bat: R Persaud, J Warrican, S Wilksinson.

Bowling: Gordon 12-3-43-1, Francis 8-2-24-0, Nelson 32-6-81-4, Linton 22-5-42-1, Blackwood 4-1-7-0, Campbell 1-0-2-0, Senior 4-1-5-0.

Position: Barbados trail by 47 runs with four wickets in tact.

Toss: Jamaica

Umpires: J Mathurin, L Louisy.