CMC – Champions Jamaica emphatically claimed first innings honours and pressed for victory against winless Guyana on Sunday’s third day of their 13th round WICB Regional Four-day match at Jarrett Park.
After securing an 81-run first innings lead, the Jamaicans – already assured of the George Headley/ Everton Weekes Trophy with an impregnable 94 points – will enter tomorrow’s final day of their last match of the season on 215 for seven, an overall lead of 296.
The Jamaicans achieved their position in just over two sessions of batting after Guyana’s first innings had ended shortly before lunch.
Resuming from their overnight position of 268 for six in response to the home side’s 389, Guyana stretched their innings to near lunch but fell considerably short of their target.
Medium pacer David Bernard and leg-spinner Gavin Wallace combined to dismantle Guyana’s lower order.
Derwin Christian (15) was first to fall in the morning, leg before wicket to Bernard at 273 for seven and it became 307 for nine, when Wallace got rid Assad Fudadin (47) and Veerasammy Permaul (5).
Bernard wrapped up the innings by removing Brandon Bess lbw for a “duck” to finish with figures of four for 85 off 19.2 overs.
Wallace picked up three for 39 off 12 overs and his spin partner Odean Brown claimed two for 55.
Jamaica faced four overs before the lunch-break which they took at 28 without loss and continued building their lead to reach tea at 116 for three, after losing openers Brenton Parchment (29), Danza Hyatt (31) and captain Tamar Lambert (7).
Fast bowler Chris Barnwell, who picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings, struck first when Parchment pulled a delivery to Sewnarine Chattergoon at square leg.
Parchment hit three fours and a six and led a 59-run opening stand with Hyatt, who was caught at mid-on off the left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul at 95 for two.
Lambert, top scorer with 90 in the first innings, did not last long and was caught at deep mid-wicket off leg-spinner Davindra Bishoo for seven at 112 for three just before tea. Needing to press the run-rate accelerator to give themselves the platform for a victory bid on the last day, the Jamaicans scored steadily in the last session but also lost four wickets.
Permaul bowled Bernard (6) and Carlton Baugh was run out without scoring as the home side dipped to 129 for five.
No.3 batsman Donovan Pagon eventually fell – lbw to Bishoo — for 45 with four boundaries and Daren Powell stroked 27 in a 48-run seventh-wicket partnership with Test batsman Brendan Nash that pushed the total past the 200-mark.
At the close, Nash was not out on 40 with three boundaries and Brown (1) was with him as the Jamaicans take aim at the seventh win of the season.
The Guyanese, enduring their worst ever season, have failed to secure a single win from 10 matches so far this season and if they fail to beat the odds and win against the Jamaicans today, their final round game against Barbados on the Easter weekend will be their last chance to collect a victory.
