Regional Four-Day cricket...Jamaica crush Guyana by 7 Wkts

Regional Four-Day cricket…Jamaica crush Guyana by 7 Wkts

Mar 04, 2014 Sports

By Sean Devers in Jamaica
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Jamaica, who won a record five consecutive titles under Skipper Tamar Lambert from 2008 before Barbados halted their winning streak last year, began the 2014 season in auspicious fashion with an empathic seven-wicket victory against Guyana at Sabina Park yesterday with over a session and a half to spare.

Lambert cuts for four

Set 88 to win on the final day the home team reached 89-3 to collect 12 points for the win in addition to six bonus points in their opening Regional Four-Day cricket contest to take an early lead in the seven-team tournament after they had beaten Guyana by 212 runs inside three days last year at Providence.
Guyana collected three bowling points (their only points in the game) when the match was wrapped up 43 minutes after Lunch. Jerome Taylor, the 29-year-old former West Indies pacer was named Man-of-the-Match, finishing with 5-44 from 20 overs in his first First-Class game for Jamaica since March 2011.
Scores: Guy (117 & 264), Jam (294 & 89-3)
Resuming on their overnight score of 219-8 with an overall lead of 46, Guyana progressed to 221 before Devendra Bishoo (7) edged left-arm pacer Sheldon Cotterell to the Keeper to give to him his first scalp of the match.
Last man Keon Joseph got going with a glorious off-drive for four when Cotterell over-pitched and repeated the dose off Taylor, this time with a magnificent push through mid-on for another boundary.
Beaton, hoping to become the first Essequibo player to play Test cricket, stroked Cotterell majestically for four before an enterprising drive off Taylor reached the boundary like a scud missile to post the 250 from 707 balls and 480 minutes.
The confidence of the last wicket pair grew the longer they stayed at the crease as the Guyana tail continued to wag with both Beaton and Joseph demonstrating impeccable techniques.
With the partnership six away from a half-century Joseph edged Tamar Lambert’s off-spin for John Campbell at slip to hold a sharp catch to end the Guyana innings an hour and 12 minutes into the first session.

Bonner sweeps as Fudadin takes evasive action.

The 44-run last wicket stand lasted one hour before Joseph departed for a confident 20 from 60 minutes with two fours, while Beaton, who suffered a slight back strain while batting and did not take the field for Jamaica’s second innings, finished unbeaten on 22 from 72 minutes.
When Jamaica began their run chase they lost the left-handed opener John Campbell for a duck when he dragged a ball from left arm spinner Permaul, who opened the bowling with Joseph, onto his stumps with the score on four.
By Lunch the hosts, hunting their ninth title this season, were 41-1. Deonarine replaced Joseph after one over and Horace Miller hit him for six back over his head and swept Permaul for a boundary to be unbeaten on 28 at Lunch while Nkrumah Bonner was not out on 15.
After the interval, Miller was sent back by Permaul for 27 with two fours and a six at 57-2, while leg-spinner Amir Khan took his first First-Class wicket in his second match at this level when he removed Bonner for 38. His innings was decorated with three fours and two sixes and Jamaica had lost that wicket at 77.
Lambert (12*) and Jermaine Blackwood (10*), who finished off the contest in style with a boundary, remained to the end as Permaul ended with 2-34 and match figures of 7-110.
Jamaica’s under-17 Captain Abhiaj Mansingh, the son of Dr Mansingh, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) doctor, fielded for the injured Beaton as a substitute.
The Guyana team returns home tonight and face Barbados in their next match at Providence from Friday in their first Day/Night game.