Blackwood slams ‘double’ in Jamaica’s 380, Guyana 136-7 in reply

Jul 14, 2010 Sports

Eighteen-year-old West Indies under-19 batsman Jermaine Blackwood yesterday became the first batsman to register a regional under-19 double century since Guyana’s Leon Johnson scored an even unbeaten 200 against Barbados in St Vincent five years ago.

The right-handed Blackwood, who scored 90 against Trinidad and Tobago in the opening round of this year’s TCL regional under-19 three-day series, faced 291 balls and hammered 14 fours and 6 sixes in his magnificent 204 to help defending Champions Jamaica to a formidable 380 before they were bowled out 32 minutes after lunch.

Left-arm-spinner Anthony Adams ended with 3-96 while former West Indies under-15 leg-spinner Amir Khan was not as successful as in the opening match when he took 11 wickets against the Leeward Islands and finished with 2-111.West Indies under-19 pacer Keon Joseph who was not used much yesterday, took 2-26 for the Guyanese.

By the close Guyana, who beat the Leewards by 8 wickets to register the only outright win in the first round, were struggling at 136-7, still 244 runs away from first innings points with just three wickets in hand going into the final day. The Guyanese need to score 230 to avoid being asked to follow-on.

While the Guyanese are on the ropes they could take heart from the fact that when they last won the title in 2007 in St Kitts, they lost by 50 runs against Jamaica in the second round of the competition and rebounded to win back-to-back titles after taking championship honours the year before on home soil.

Yesterday the Jamaicans, who won the title at home last year, resumed on 256-6 with Blackwood on 100 and Donavan Nelson on 46 when play began 32 minutes last due to morning rain.

Nelson (47) was soon removed by Khan after he had joined Blackwood with Jamaica tottering on 121-6 and featured in a century stand as they defied the Guyana spin attack of Khan and Adams with attractive batting.

Part-time off-spinner Harrinarine Chattergoon picked up his first wicket at this level but Blackwood continued to play his shots even after Khan got rid of Omar Samuels just before lunch. By the interval, the boys from Reggae Country had progressed to 328-9 with Blackwood unbeaten on 154.

Blackwood, who represented the Regional team in this year’s under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, played an array of audacious shots and took most of the strike to dominate a half-century last wicket partnership before he was finally removed by Joseph to wrap up the Jamaica innings.

By Tea Guyana were 46-2 with baby of the team 14-year-old opener Brian Sattaur (4) and Herrell Greene (8) back in the pavilion as the new ball bowlers Nelson and Nicholson Gordon, both with previous experience at this level, struck early blows for their team.

Dominique Rikhi joined Chattergoon, who was looking confident and the Berbice pair revived the situation in the final session before Nelson struck twice as Chattergoon fell 6 short of his fifty.

Dogged left-hander Kwame Crosse, who hit a defiant unbeaten 74 on debut in the opening round, again looked solid before he fell just before the close 5 short of consecutive half-centuries. Nelson has 3-42 and Gordon 2-44.