NOT even a chanceless ton from Barbados and West Indies middle order batter and woman-of-the-match Pamela Lavine (113) was enough to prevent defending champions Jamaica from completing a 14-run first round victory in their West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Women’s limited overs tournament at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground yesterday.

Losing the toss and asked to take first strike by their opponents, Jamaica after a slow start managed to score 206-6 from their 50 overs, to which Barbados replied with 192 from 45.2 overs, despite Lavine’s innings.

Barbados saw their reply off to a disastrous start, losing skipper Danielle Small off the fifth ball of their innings, lbw to Peta-Gaye Hanson without scoring, but Lavine had other ideas in mind, hitting Karla Cohen for successive boundaries in the third over of the innings.

Lavine followed it up with two aggressively timed drives off Hanson.

Lavine reached her half-century and the second of the match from 42 deliveries, decorated with four fours as Barbados moved to 74-1 in the 14th over.

The Jamaicans struck soon after, removing Ellis lbw to Henry for 20.

Lavine and fellow West Indies middle order batter Deandra Dottin (21) added 40 from 6.4 overs. But Dottin was subsequently caught by Henry at point off the bowling of Roshana Outar for 21.

Charlene Taitt was then bowled by Shanel Daly for seven, but Barbados were still in the driver’s seat, comfortably placed on 150-4 in the 30th over.

Lavine reached her century, the first of this year’s tournament with a gentle push past mid off from the first delivery of the 35th over bowled by Outar.

Barbados lost two quick wickets following Lavine’s century, as Daly had Shaquane Quintyne (2) adjudged lbw whilst Cohen gleefully accepted a return catch from Monique Best, who also made two, to leave Barbados on 171-6 in the 40th over.

A tired-looking Lavine, who was on 107 while wickets fell around her, enabled Cohen to complete a double strike in the over when she offered Patrice Cuffe-Parchment a simple catch at mid off from the 106th delivery she faced, to depart for 109.

It was all over bar the shouting for Barbados five overs later when Watts (2-25) removed Selman (4) and last batter Tiffany Thorpe (0) off the first two deliveries of the 46th over, to complete the victory for Jamaica. She also had Cohen and Daley among the wickets.

Earlier in the day, the Jamaican opening pair of skipper Nathan-Dawes and Morgan struggled against the new ball attack of Danielle Small and Shakeira Selman, with Nathan-Dawes, who looked more vulnerable than Morgan, being given a life by Tiffany Thorpe at first slip.

But the Barbadians did not suffer much from that missed opportunity, as Nathan-Dawes was adjudged lbw to Small in the following over without scoring.

Chedean Nation, who carried her bat through the 48th over, for a top score of 65, joined Morgan and together they survived a partnership of 112. Morgan made 49 which was decorated with five fours.

Unfortunately for both Morgan and Jamaica, the former was smartly run-out by Quintyne in the 41st over.

The Jamaicans then lost four quick wickets for 52 runs from 7.3 overs, including Nation who was caught by Small off the bowling of Lavine (2-43).

In the other first round match played at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground in Queenstown, St Lucia made light work of Dominica, as they registered a comfortable five-wicket victory on a good batting wicket.

St Lucia won the toss and invited their opponents to take first strike before bowling them out for a paltry 83 from 31.3 overs, with extras top-scoring with 26, Anrika Andrew (13) and Bertina Berkett (10) being the lone batters to get into double figures.

Phillipa Thomas (3-10) and the veteran Verna Felicien (2-17) along with Swayline Williams, Rayline and Naralie Cooper, who took a wicket each, did the damage with the ball for St Lucia, who scored 87-5 in reply to complete the win.

Action will continue today with host Guyana taking on Trinidad and Tobago at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, while Grenada and St Vincent will do battle at GCC in their first round encounters.