BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Jamaica were closing in on valuable first innings points following a shocking batting collapse by Combined Campuses and Colleges on the opening day of the Regional First Class Championship final here yesterday.
Chasing a paltry 112, the visitors ended the rain-hit day at 3Ws Oval on 106 for three, just seven runs adrift of first innings advantage that puts them in sight of their fourth straight four-day title.
Things could have been worse for CCC when Danza Hyatt (32) and Simon Jackson (28) put on 73 for the opening stand but spin twin Kavesh Kantasingh and Ryan Austin struck crucial blows as Jamaica lost three wickets for 33 runs late in the day.
Left-arm spinner Kantasingh snatched two for 29 and Austin claimed one for 35, to peg back the powerful Jamaica batting juggernaut.
Among the victims was the tournament leading run-scorer Marlon Samuels who survived two chances off Austin before finally being prised out for 23.
Winning the toss and batting after rain delayed the start by 45 minutes, CCC were rocked by the opening pace duo of Andre Russell (3-11) and Jason Dawes (2-26).
They were backed up leg-spinner Odean Brown who chipped in with three for 34 as CCC failed to stage a serious recovery.
Only Raymon Reifer who top-scored with 42 and all-rounder Nkrumah Bonner (37) showed any resistance, in a stand of 55 for the sixth wicket after CCC were reeling at 20 for five.
The carnage started as early as the day’s fourth over when opener Romel Currency was yorked by Dawes for one at five for one and it continued when Shacaya Thomas was trapped lbw without scoring by a full length delivery from Dawes at eight for two.
Four balls later, captain Omar Phillips skied a drive off Russell to extra-cover to perish for five at 10 for three before CCC’s leading batsman Kyle Corbin was bowled by Russell for two with just four runs added.
Russell, a bright spot for West Indies in the just concluded World Cup, then trapped veteran left-hander Floyd Reifer lbw for four to leave CCC in a tizzy at 20 for five.
Raymon Reifer and Bonner then staged somewhat of a recovery, halting the steady clatter of wickets. Reifer struck eight fours in an innings that required 95 balls and 103 minutes while Bonner counted three fours off 104 balls in 137 minutes at the crease.
When Reifer fell to Brown at 75 for six, the last four wickets fell for 37 runs as CCC were dismissed on the stroke of tea.
Jamaica then got a rousing start from the left-handed Jackson and Hyatt, as they chased down CCC’s meagre total.
Jackson eventually fell to Austin, lbw pushing forward at 73 for one and Hyatt followed him in the next over, edging one that bounced and turned from Kantasingh.
Samuels was dropped at two by Floyd Reifer at slip and then at 14 by Kantasingh in the deep, before also edging left-arm spinner behind at 106.
SCOREBOARD
CCC 1st Innings
R Currency b Dawes 1
*O Phillips c Miller b Russell 5
S Thomas lbw b Dawes 0
+K Corbin b Russell 2
R Reifer c Miller b Brown 42
F Reifer lbw b Russell 4
N Bonner run out 37
C Brathwaite b Brown 2
K McClean b Brown 3
R Austin not out 3
K Kantasingh b Miller 3
Extras (b7, lb1, w1, nb1) 10
TOTAL (all out, 50.1 overs) 112
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-8, 3-10), 4-14, 5-20, 6-75, 7-91, 8-97, 9-109, 10-112.
Bowling: Russell 7-1-11-3, Dawes 9-4-26-2, Miller 18.1-10-21-1, Hinds 4-1-12-0, Brown 12-1-34-3.
JAMAICA Ist Innings
S Jackson lbw b Austin 28
D Hyatt c wkp Corbin b Kantasingh 32
M Samuels c wkp Corbin b Kantasingh 23
*T Lambert not out 4
J Dawes not out 0
Extras (b4, lb5, nb10) 19
TOTAL (3 wkts, 33 overs) 106
Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-83, 3-106.
To bat: B Nash, W Hinds, +C Walton, A Russell, N Miller, O Brown.
Bowling: McClean 4-1-11-0, Kantasingh 14-6-29-2, Brathwaite 5-1-22-0, Austin 10-1-35-1.
Position: Jamaica trail by six runs with seven wickets intact.
Toss: CCC.
Umpires: Nigel Duguid, Goaland Greaves.
