Dewar stars on first-class debut
Published:Monday | April 5, 2010 | 12:00 AM
André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter
West Indies youth spinner Akeem Dewar was in good form, bagging four wickets for Jamaica in his first spell at the first-class level, as the hosts held Ireland to 275-9 on the penultimate day of their three-day Jamaica Cricket Festival (JCF) match at Chedwin Park yesterday.
Dewar ended with figures of 4-81 in his 23 overs, as the Irish closed play 55 runs behind Jamaica's first-innings total of 330 all out.
Dewar, who was a leading player in Jamaica's success at the Under-19 level last year, first claimed the wicket of the dangerous André Botha (15), who was caught by Horace Miller.
The pair was at it again when Naill O'brien was removed on 65 before Dewar caught and bowled Alex Cusack for 53 and trapped Andrew White leg before wicket for 22.
Earlier, Jamaica found early success, with pacer André Russell getting rid of opener William Porterfield for one, with his very first delivery.
108-run partnership
Fellow opener Paul Sterling was joined at the crease by O'brien, and the two shared in a 108-run partnership before Sterling was removed on 65 by Russell in unfortunate fashion.
Russell got down in time to get a hand on a straight drive by O'brien, in the process redirecting the ball on to the stumps of Sterling, who was caught outside his crease at the non-striker's end.
Russell, who was the only other Jamaican bowler to achieve success on a pitch that was not offering too much, returned to claim two additional scalps towards the close of play, to end with 3-41.
The pacer removed Gary Wilson, leg before wicket, for six runs before knocking back Peter Connell's off stump with a ferocious inswinger, with the batsman yet to score.
Jamaica will hope to get the other wicket as early as possible and give their batsmen more time at the crease, ahead of their other assignments in the JCF.
The JCF will move to the Kaiser Sports Club in St Ann tomorrow where the two teams will meet again, this time in a 50-over encounter before the Jamaicans square off with Canada a day later.