KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Estranged West Indies opener Chris Gayle sent perhaps his strongest message yet to the West Indies Cricket Board ahead of the upcoming Australia series as he pummelled an up tempo hundred against Windward Islands to give Jamaica the upper hand here yesterday.
The left-hander, at loggerheads with the regional board over controversial comments he made last year, smashed 165 from a mere 155 balls, uncorking yet another amazing innings to fire the home side up to 262 for seven in their second innings, on the second day of their opening round Regional Four-Championship match at Sabina Park.
Gayle has been overlooked for selection since last year’s World Cup and has been told by the WICB he must apologise for the comments before he can be considered for selection.
The former West Indies captain, who has refused to go back on his criticisms of the board, let his bat do the talking yesterday as he shredded the Windwards bowling for eight fours and 14 giant sixes.
His effort allowed Jamaica to rattle up an overall lead of 283 runs after the Windwards slumped from their overnight 49 for three to 159 all out.
Pacer Andrew Richardson engineered the rout, claiming five for 36 while leg-spinner Odean Brown (2-19) and seamer David Bernard Jr (2-38) finished with two wickets apiece.
It took Nelon Pascal’s entertaining run-a-ball, unbeaten 28 in a 47-run, last wicket stand with Shane Shillingford who stroked a cameo 19, to give the Windwards precious runs at the end.
Gayle then put the Windwards bowling to the sword in a devastating assault. He got off the mark with a boundary over point and followed up with another through extra cover to hint at what was to come.
He dominated a 50-run, opening stand with Simon Jackson (9) before putting on another 102 for the third wicket with Brendan Nash (14).
Gayle reached his half-century in style off just 48 balls, smashing Shillingford over square leg for six to move to 47 before finding another maximum over mid-wicket.
He celebrated by launching Shillingford onto the roof of the Kingston Cricket Club before hitting the same bowler over wide long on and he moved into overdrive.
Gayle eventually raised his century off 88 balls by lofting off-spinner Liam Sebastien onto the George Headley Stand and then motored to his 150 off just another 42 balls.
With a double century at his mercy, he perished tamely, popping an easy catch to Devon Smith at mid-wicket off Shillingford at 228 for six.
The only other batsman to get past 20 was Andre Russell, who cracked three fours and a six over mid-wicket off Shillingford, in an unbeaten 23.
Shillingford has so far taken four for 66 while pacer Pascal has claimed two for 51.
Score Broad
JAMAICA 1st Innings 180
WINDWARDS 1st Innings
(overnight 49 for three)
D Smith c Jackson b Bernard 12
J Charles lbw b Miller 24
A Fletcher lbw b Bernard 2
K Peters b Richardson 8
K Lesporis c wkp Baugh b Richardson 6
*L Sebastien c and b Richardson 6
D Polius c Jackson b Brown 19
+L James lbw b Richardson 0
G Mathurin lbw b Brown 25
S Shillingford b Richardson 19
N Pascal not out 28
Extras (b2, lb3, w1, nb3) 9
TOTAL (all out, 50.3 overs) 159
Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-37, 3-39, 4-51, 5-56, 6-61, 7-69, 8-111, 9-112, 10-159.
Bowling: Richardson 11.3-3-36-5, Russell 7-2-25-0, Miller 14-4-36-1, Bernard 11-2-38-2, Brown 7-1-19-2.
JAMAICA 2nd Innings
S Jackson c wkp James b Pascal 9
C Gayle c Smith b Shillingford 165
D Pagon c Shillingford b Pascal 2
B Nash c wkp Charles b Peters 14
*T Lambert c Smith b Shillingford 15
D Bernard lbw b Shillingford 2
+C Baugh c Polius b Shillingford 14
A Russell not out 23
N Miller not out 0
Extras (b7, lb3, w3, nb5) 18
TOTAL (7 wkts, 56 overs) 262
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-56, 3-158, 4-201, 5-218, 6-228, 7-261.
Bowling: Pascal 12-2-51-2, Peters 9-2-37-1, Shillingford 17-2-66-4, Mathurin 13-0-55-0, Sebastien 3-0-26-0, Polius 2-0-17-0.
Position: Jamaica lead by 283 runs.
Toss: Windwards.
Umpires: Nigel Duguid, Norman Malcolm.
