FOURSQUARE, Barbados, CMC – Brandon Bess distinguished himself with career-best figures, but had to share the spotlight with Wavell Hinds, as reigning champions and leaders Jamaica recovered from an early stumble against Guyana in the WICB regional first-class championship yesterday.
Hinds was unbeaten on 71, as Jamaica, sent in to bat, reached 239 for six in their first innings at the close on the opening day of their third round match at Foursquare Oval which is hosting its maiden first-class match.
The 33-year-old Hinds was the glue that held Jamaica’s innings together, after the 22-year-old Bess had threatened to wreck their unstoppable run so far in the Championship, when he collected four wickets for 31 runs from 14 overs to put the early skids on his opponents.
Hinds, whose scores in the competition so far have been 95, 14 not out, and 70, added 73 for the fourth wicket with fellow left-hander Brendan Nash, and in the final half-hour, he was a near silent partner in a stand of 49, unbroken, with Carlton Baugh Jr.
Brenton Parchment supported with 49, Nash made 43, and Baugh was not out on 29, after Jamaica recovered from a wobbly 39 for three about half-hour before lunch.
Parchment and fellow opener Danza Hyatt had confidently negotiated the first hour, but things became unravelled during the first half-hour after the morning’s drinks break, when Brandon Bess grabbed three wickets in the space of 15 balls.
Bess was switched to the Arthur Bethell End at the north of the ground, where he gained appreciable bounce and movement.
He removed Hyatt caught at first slip for 18 playing defensively forward to the fast bowler’s first delivery of the new spell, and next ball, had Donovan Pagon bowled for a first-ball duck playing on to leave Jamaica 35 for two.
Bess inflicted more hardship on the Jamaicans, when Tamar Lambert top-edged a cut and was caught at second slip for three, as the Championship leaders sunk to 39 for three. After lunch, Parchment was just beginning to find his feet, when he was adjudged lbw to Veerasammy Permaul offering no stroke to an arm-ball to leave Jamaica on 81 for four.
Hinds joined Nash, and they spent the next hour-and-a-half defying the Guyanese, particularly the spin bowlers, to carry Jamaica to 146 for four at tea.
After tea, Nash and Hinds continued to ease Jamaica’s nerves before Permaul had Nash caught at square leg off a top-edged pull and Bess trapped Dave Bernard Jr lbw for 15 playing across the line.
Jamaica were 190 for six, but Baugh entered and batted with typical aplomb, striking four fours and a six from 20 balls, and Hinds joined the fun with a four and a six off Bess in the final over to allow their side to walk like champions at the end of the day.
Permaul ended with two for 49 from 27 overs.
Both sides made one change from the previous round of matches. For Guyana, off-spin all-rounder Royston Crandon replaced left-handed batsman Vishaul Singh, and Danza Hyatt replaced the injured Shawn Findlay for Jamaica.
Jamaica top the standings with a maximum 24 points from victories over Windward Islands in the opening round on home soil at Chedwin Park, and Leeward Islands in the second round in St. Kitts at Warner Park.
Guyana are currently sixth in the table on three points with a match in hand, after they were led on first innings in their only match in the competition in the second round at Antigua’s Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
In the last decade, the two teams played each other 15 times with Guyana winning just once, Jamaica six times, seven drawn, and a no-decision in the 2005 second-leg contest.
