GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Chad Williams led Barbados’ fight-back with the ball after Ramaal Lewis tormented their batsmen, but Jamaica were within sight of a valuable first innings lead in the Regional Under-19 Tournament here yesterday.
Left-arm spinner Williams grabbed 4-15 from 13 overs, as the Jamaicans reached 106 for five in their first innings at the close on the opening day of their opening round match at Everest on the northern tip of the Guyana capital, just 14 adrift of nosing in front.
Williams defied an opening stand of 62 between Leroy Lugg and Odaine McCatty, removing the cream of the top-order batting before Lewis, the Jamaica and incumbent West Indies Under-19 captain, again featured prominently.
Lewis batted through about 45 minutes until the close with Abijai Mansingh, son of Dr. Akshai Mansingh, the head of the West Indies Cricket Board’s medical panel, to stem the fall of wickets, after the Jamaicans had stumbled to 76 for five.
Lewis had grabbed 5-47 from 19.2 overs and his deputy and fellow off-spinner Nicholas Walters supported with 3-21 from 11 overs, as the Barbadians, choosing to bat, were bowled out for 120 in their first innings about 50 minutes after lunch.
Shamar Springer, a member of the Barbados side that won the Regional Under-17 Tournament last week in Tobago, hit the top score of 31 and opener Lee-Germon Gaskin made 27.
No other Barbados batsman reached 20, as most of them were dismissed either to good bowling or loose strokes on a hard, true pitch in hot, sunny conditions.
Lugg and McCatty then gave Jamaica a strong start, taking them to 51 without loss at tea, but things started to unravel for them after the break, as Williams kept wicketkeeper Leniko Boucher busy behind the stumps.
Williams had McCatty and Lugg both stumped for 16 and 42 respectively before he removed Mark Parchment from a top-edged cut to the gloveman for four and Ramone Francis to a mishit to mid-on for one.
Jamaica’s grip was further weakened, when diminutive off-spinner Neil Persaud had Romaine Morris caught behind for six – but Lewis came to the crease and with Mansingh got the Jamaicans back on track.
Earlier, new-ball bowler Odean Smith made the breakthrough for Jamaica in his second over – the fourth of the innings – when he had opener Dikembe Wilson caught behind for one.
After Smith and fellow fast-medium bowler Oshane Thomas failed to make further headway in their opening spells, Lewis turned to himself and Walters in a move that paid handsomely.
Lewis had Boucher, the victorious Barbados Under-17 captain, caught at slip for two in his second over before Walters also struck in his second over, holding a return catch to dispatch Akil Greenidge, son of former Barbados and West Indies batsman Alvin Greenidge, for nine, as the Barbadians crumbled to 42 for three.
Lewis triggered further instability, when he comprehensively beat and bowled Jafari Toppin for six and had Nicholas Kirton, another member of the winning Barbados Under-17 side, caught at slip for a third-ball duck.
Walters left the innings in further tatters, when he trapped Gaskin lbw playing forward, as Barbados subsided to 49 for six.
The Jamaicans met a bit of defiance, as Matthew Jones resisted with Springer for the next 20 minutes before he was caught at backward point off Walters two deliveries before lunch to leave the Barbadians 71 for seven.
After the interval, Springer held the bottom half of the batting together and limped the Barbadians past 100, earning them one batting point before he was the penultimate wicket for the Jamaicans, when Lewis had him caught at long-on.
Lewis brought the innings to a close and earned his side all three bowling points, when Keon Harding was also caught at long-on for 13.
