Parchment, Hyatt launch Jamaica with tons

GRENVILLE, Grenada (CMC): Showing a very healthy appetite for runs, Danza Hyatt and Brenton Parchment enjoyed a batting feast and both scored hundreds to propel title-chasing Jamaica to a solid score against Trinidad and Tobago on the opening day of their crucial final-round WICB Regional first-class match yesterday.

Sent to bat in the tournament decider at Progress Park, reigning champions Jamaica - needing an outright win to retain their title - closed on 347 for eight with Andrew Richardson (14) and Odean Brown (0) at the crease.

Hyatt and Parchment posted a raging 200-run opening stand in a dominant batting effort from the Jamaicans, who only lost their momentum after tea when T&T bagged five wickets - all to the leg-spinner Imran Khan.

Hyatt and Parchment gave the Jamaicans a rousing start, lashing chanceless half centuries in the first session and by the lunch break had already posted an imposing 120 without loss.

maiden first-class century

After bringing up his maiden first-class hundred off 126 balls in the post-lunch period, Hyatt fell to off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth, hitting a lofted drive to mid-on where William Perkins ran in to take the catch. Hyatt struck 104 with 10 fours and five sixes in his innings.

Without addition to the score, the No. 3 batsman Donovan Pagon departed first ball, bowled by an inswinger from medium pacer Shannon Gabriel at 200 for two.

On debut, 20-year-old Horace Miller joined Parchment and took the score to 236 for two at tea.

Parchment had reached his hundred off 161 balls with 11 fours and two sixes, and resuming after tea on 107, added just two runs before giving Khan the first of his five wickets. Parchment (109) was caught at short midwicket by Justin Guillen at 240 for three.

Khan then sent back captain Tamar Lambert (5), Carlton Baugh (25) and Andre Russell (4) as Jamaica dipped to 331 for six.

No. 8 batsman Richardson cracked back-to-back sixes off Khan near the end of play, but the leg-spinning all-rounder responded by dislodging the impressive rookie Miller just before stumps for a well-played 66 that included nine fours and a six.

Jamaica entered the match with 48 points while Barbados finished their schedule on 57 last week, after whipping the Jamaicans by 10 wickets in Trinidad in the sixth round.

At the National Cricket Stadium in St George's, Grenada:
Guyana, sent in by the Windward Islands, were 239 for three at the close on the opening day of their final-round WICB regional first-class championship match yesterday.

Scores:
Guyana 239 for three (Ramnaresh Sarwan 81 not out, Assad Fudadin 64 not out, Sewnarine Chattergoon 27, Rajendra Chandrika 26, Gajanand Singh 24; Shane Shillingford 3-77) vs Windwards.

SCOREBOARD

JAMAICA 1st Innings

B Parchment c Guillen b Khan
109
D Hyatt c Perkins b Jaggernauth
104
D Pagon c wkp G Mohammed b Gabriel
0
H Miller c S Ganga b Khan
66
T Lambert c S Ganga b Khan
5
+C Baugh c Guillen b Khan
25
A Russell c J Mohammed b Khan
4
A Richardson not out
14
O Brown not out
0
Extras
(b11, lb7, nb3)
21
TOTAL (for 7 wickets - 90 overs)
348

Fall of wickets:
1-200, 2-200, 3-240, 4-276, 5-326, 6-331, 7-346

Bowling:
Gabriel 19-1-55-1; Stewart 11-1-43-1; Khan 22-4-101-5; Cruikshank 9-0-45-0; Jaggernauth 21-3-66-1; S Ganga 8-2-20-0.

Toss:
Trinidad & Tobago

Umpires:
Elwyn Jones, Rogers Laroque