DESPITE brilliant sunshine after a brief shower, host Guyana and Jamaica were forced to share the points at the end of their second round West Indies Cricket Board’s Under-19 fixture at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground yesterday. After the first two days were unplayable due to rain and a soggy outfield, play got underway on the final day wherein Jamaica won the toss and opted to take first strike in hazy conditions and when rain forced the players off the field at 11:52hrs, Jamaica were struggling at   86 for 5 after 30 overs.

The Jamaicans must have regretted their decision to bat first, as Berbice fast bowler Clinton Pestano placed them on the back foot, leaving them on 20 for 2 when he sent back Oshane Walters and John Campbell for 00 and 16 respectively.

Ramon Senior (20, 2×4) and Bryan Gayle (16) added 31 for the third wicket, with Senior hitting Guyana’s skipper Ronsford Beaton for four, while Gayle struck a hat trick of boundaries off Amir Khan and Anthony Adams, raising the Jamaicans 50 from 12.4 overs before Gayle was lbw to Khan at 51 for 3.

Chrishna Graham replaced Gayle but did not last long, as he was bowled by Adams who was the main destroyer in Guyana’s first round match against the Leeward Islands for 07 while Senior’s resilient innings came to an end when he was smartly stumped by Kevon Boodie off Khan for 20.

Prior to Jamaica losing their five wickets, Campbell had driven Beaton exquisitely through extra cover for four, while Senior struck Khan who was guilty of bowling too flat past Beaton at short extra cover for one of his two fours.

The Guyanese fielders became complacent, with Chandrapaul Hemraj grassing two opportunities at first slip, including Gayle when he was on one off Adams,and Creary when he was on four in the same position, this time off Gudakesh Motie Kanhai.

Creary said thank you for the let off, by hitting Motie-Kanhai for two fours in successive overs, followed by another off Khan, then watched as Dominique Rikhi dropped his skipper Aldaine Thomas at silly mid off, also off Khan.

When rain forced the players off the field at 11:52hrs, Jamaica were 86 for 5 off 31 overs with Creary on 19 and Thomas 06, which was unfortunately the last moment of action for both teams, as the match was called off at 14:22hrs, due to a soggy and in some places underwater boundary edges.

Pestano and Khan ended with two wickets each for the host team, while both teams played an unchanged lineup from the one that won their respective first round matches last week.

Guyana will go on to play Trinidad and Tobago at the Everest Cricket Club ground from tomorrow, while the Jamaicans take on points leaders Barbados at the Police Sports Club ground.

SCOREBOARD
JAMAICA 1st Innings
J. Campbell c Motie-Kanhai b Pestano 16
O. Walters c wkpr Boodie b Pestano 0
R. Senior st Boodie b Khan 20
B. Gayle lbw b Khan 15
C. Graham b Adams 7
T. Creary not out 18
+A. Thomas not out 5
Extras (b1, lb1, nb3) 5
TOTAL (5 wkts, 30 overs) 86
*D. Nelson, M. Mindley, J. McDonald, F. Allen did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-20, 3-50, 4-60, 5-62
Bowling: *Beaton 4-0-22-0, Pestano 3-0-5-2, La Fleur 1-0-1-0, Adams 8-2-15-1, Khan 11-4-26-2, Motie-Kanhai 3-0-15-0