FOURSQUARE, Barbados, CMC – Leaders Jamaica were within sight of another victory after Nikita Miller bowled them to a 263-run, first innings lead over Guyana in the WICB regional first-class championship yesterday.
Miller extended his rich vein of form when he captured six wickets for 42 runs from 33 overs as Guyana were dismissed for 166 in their first innings about 15 minutes before the lunch interval on the third day of their third round match at Foursquare Oval.
Dave Bernard Jr then grabbed three for 25 from nine overs, as Guyana – following-on – limped to 161 for four at the close.
The tough nuts for Jamaica to crack were Assad Fudadin, whose 54 was the top score, Travis Dowlin who made 41, and Rajendra Chandrika who got 36, as Guyana’s batting again failed to make the most of the ideal conditions.
Reigning champions Jamaica gained an early breakthrough, after Guyana – batting a second time – reached one without loss in one over before lunch.
Bernard made the breakthrough when he had Guyana captain Sewnarine Chattergoon caught low down at square leg for three essaying a flick in the first over after the interval.
For the next hour and 10 minutes Jamaica found it hard to make headway as Dowlin joined Chandrika and they added 53 for the second wicket to put Guyana back on course.
Jamaica copped another scalp through a moment of madness about 40 minutes before tea when Chandrika took off for a questionable single and was run out for 36, failing to beat Bernard’s throw from mid-off to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr to leave Guyana 56 for two.
But Jamaica continued to meet resistance, when Assad Fudadin joined Dowlin, and they carried Guyana to 81 for two at tea.
After the break, Jamaica were put on the back-foot, as Dowlin and Fudadin added 84 for the third wicket before Bernard removed them within the space of six balls inside the final half-hour.
Bernard trapped Dowlin lbw playing back and across and Fudadin was bowled playing down the wrong line to leave Guyana on 146 for four.
Earlier, Jamaica found little or no resistance from the lower-half of the Guyana batting, after their opponents resumed from their overnight first innings total of 112 for five.
Miller claimed three of the last five wickets, as Fudadin ended with the top score of 39, but none of the batsmen in the lower-half passed 20 with the best efforts of 17 coming from Royston Crandon and Derwin Christian.
Jamaica are on the 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.
