PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Jamaica predictably qualified for the Regional First Class Championship final after their semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago finished in a controversial no-decision yesterday.

Chasing Jamaica’s mammoth 664, T&T ended on 448 for nine at the close of the final day at the Sri Frank Worrell Ground.

According to West Indies Cricket Board’s rules governing the tournament, if semi-finals end in a no-result, the team which came out on top during the head-to-head clash in the preliminary round, would advance.

Jamaica took first innings from T&T in their preliminary clash at Sabina Park last month but finished fourth in the standings behind the second placed Trinidadians.

An upset T&T team manager Omar Khan said legal advice had already been sought on the situation.

On the field, centuries from captain Daren Ganga (107) and all-rounder Ryad Emrit  (113 not out) were not enough to get T&T up to their target, after they resumed the day at 198 for four.

The right-handed Ganga hit eight fours off 233 balls in a shade over six hours at the crease while Emrit counted 15 fours and a six in a counter-attacking innings spanning 126 balls and 160 minutes.

T&T’s run chase was detailed early in the day when Denesh Ramdin, unbeaten on 49 overnight, edged behind West Indies off seamer Andre Russell (4-89) after adding just six runs.

West Indies big-hitter Kieron Pollard (48) then added 101 for the seventh wicket with Ganga, as T&T tried to accelerate the scoring.

Pollard fell at 393, lbw to medium pacer Dave Bernard Jr and Ganga and Emrit posted a further 45 for the eighth wicket before Ganga fell to a tired pull, caught at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of leg-spinner Odean Brown.

Emrit then took matters into his own hands, but his frenetic 94-run ninth wicket stand with Amit Jaggernauth (12) was not enough to prevent T&T from missing on the final against Combined Campuses and Colleges.

JAMAICA 1st Innings 664 (Brendan Nash 207, Wavell Hinds 165)
T&T 1st Innings
(overnight 198 for four)
L Simmons b Dawes 5
I Khan lbw b Russell 17
D Bravo c Jackson b Dawes 0
*D Ganga c Nash b Brown 107
S Ganga c wkp Walton b Russell 42
+D Ramdin c wkp Walton b Russell 54
K Pollard lbw b Bernard 48
R Emrit not out 113
R Rampaul c wkp Walton b Russell 25
A Jaggernauth c Bernard b Nash 12
S Gabriel not out 4
Extras (b1, lb12, nb8) 21
TOTAL (9 wkts, 134 overs) 448
Fall of wicket: 1-17, 2-28, 3-28, 4-111, 5-209, 6-292, 7-293, 8-338, 9-432.
Bowling: Russell 22-3-89-4, Dawes 27-5-63-2, Hyatt 1-0-5-0, Bernard 20-4-63-1, Brown 39-6-140-1, Lambert 12-2-30-0, Nash 11-3-37-1, Hinds 2-0-8-0.
Position: Jamaica qualify for Final.