KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Seventeen wickets tumbled at Sabina Park here yesterday but Jamaica Franchise emerged with the honours on the opening day of their fourth round WICB Professional League clash with the luckless Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
Sent in, the Leewards were bundled out for 103 and Jamaica then recovered from a perilous position of 87 for seven, to reach 165 without further loss at the close.
The hosts were bailed out by the efforts of tail-enders Nikita Miller who struck 50 not out and Damian Jacobs, who finished unbeaten on 33, the pair posting a critical 78 for the eighth wicket.
Miller, better known for his left-arm spin, faced 73 balls in 109 minutes and struck five fours and a six while Jacobs has counted three boundaries in his 63-ball sojourn.
They pulled Jamaica around after veteran fast bowler Gavin Tonge, with four for 46 and seamer Orlando Peters, three for 33, left the innings in disarray. Earlier, Jacobs crippled the Leewards with his leg-spin to finish with five for 27, as the visitors put up no resistance in their turn at the crease.
He was supported by medium pacer David Bernard Jr with two for 10. Opener Lyndell Richardson top-scored with 31 from 50 balls with five fours and Rahkeem Cornwall got 20, but no other batsman managed a score of merit.
Leewards, though, were 42 for one at one stage but once the rot set in, they lost five wickets for 13 runs and the last nine for a mere 61 runs, to completely lose their way.
Jamaica already lead by 62 runs.
Scoreboard
LEEWARDS 1st Innings
A Richards Jr c
Campbell b Mindley 8
L Richardson lbw b Bernard 31
M Hodge lbw b Jacobs 9
O Peters lbw b Jacobs 0
*+D Thomas c H Miller b Jacobs 2
J Hamilton c wkp Baugh b Bernard 0
S Liburd lbw b Jacobs 3
R Cornwall lbw b N Miller 20
J Louis run out 19
G Tongue lbw b Jacobs 0
C Hamer not out 4
Extras (lb5, nb2) 7
TOTAL (all out, 42.4 overs) 103
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-42, 3-52, 4-52, 5-52, 6-55, 7-66, 8-78, 9-85, 10-103
Bowling: Mindley 6.4-2-16-1, Wallace 6-1-19-0, Bernard 5-1-10-2, Jacobs 15-7-27-5, Miller 10-2-26-1.
JAMAICA 1st innings
S Thomas c wkp
Hamilton b Peters 20
J Dillon Campbell c
wkp Hamilton b Tonge 1
H Miller b Tonge 2
A McCarthy c Liburd b Tonge 4
*T Lambert lbw b Peters 8
D Bernard Jr c
wkp Hamilton b Peters 16
+C Baugh c Peters b Tonge 18
N Miller not out 50
D Jacobs not out 33
Extras (b10, w2, nb1) 13
TOTAL (7 wkts, 45 overs) 165
To bat: M Mindley, K Wallace.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-7, 3-19, 4-36, 5-37, 6-60, 7-87.
Bowling: Tonge 15-6-46-4, Louis 9-0-26-0, Peters 9-0-33-3, Cornwall 10-3-35-0, Hamer 2-0-15-0.
Position: Jamaica lead by 62 runs with three wickets intact.
Toss: Jamaica.
Umpires: C Taylor, D Ramdhanie.