GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Jamaica were crowned three-day champions of the WICB Regional Under-19 Championship when they trounced Windward Islands by an innings and 77 runs inside two days of their one-sided fifth round encounter yesterday. Starting the day on 215 for two – already a lead of 216 – Jamaica declared at lunch on 320 for six – a lead of 221.
They then routed Windwards for 144 to win half-hour before the scheduled close of play to move to an unassailable 43.7 points.
The win was Jamaica’s third outright to add to victories over Trinidad and Tobago in the first round and Barbados in the third round.
Speaking after the victory coach Robert Samuels said he was extremely delighted with the team’s performances throughout the three weeks of competition.
“It was a total team effort and all the boys should be proud. We played as a team from the start and deserve success,” said Samuels, who also won the Under-19 title as a player back in 1990.
“It was not always easy, but the way we played against Barbados, to come from behind and win, took character and determination.”
In the Jamaica innings, left-hander John Campbell started the day on 145 and was eventually dismissed for 175. He batted for close to six hours, faced 229 balls and hit 14 boundaries and nine sixes.
With the innings, he more than doubled his tournament tally and now is the leading run-maker with 326 runs.
After he was dismissed, caught at cover off left-arm spinner Larry Edward, Chrisna Graham, a strongly build right-handed cashed in and blasted two sixes and five fours in 51 off 77 balls as the Jamaicans were able to declare at lunch.
Edward again bowled brilliantly to take five for 86 off 33 overs to end the tournament with 23 wickets, but he could not stop the Jamaica all-out onslaught.
In the Windwards second innings, their batting was again cruelly exposed, first by some excellent swing bowling from Marquino Mindley (2-13) and the consistent spinners.
Mindley, as he did in the first innings, bowled a great line and got the ball to move both ways.
He had opener Elijah Peter caught behind for four and next ball won a lbw verdict against Kavem Hodge who failed to score. The hat-trick ball was perfect to Dwight Thomas but the inside edge just eluded the fielder at short-leg.
From 14 for two in the sixth over, the Windwards never recovered and wickets fell steadily until left-hander Larry Edward hit out for 46, which included six fours.
He was last man out, caught at mid-off trying to hit pacer James MacDonald (2-41) out the ground and this sparked Jamaica’s victory celebrations.