- Junior DowieJamaican middle order batsman Mario Ventura survives an appeal for caught at the wicket by Leeward Islands' wicketkeeper Jason Williams during Friday's first day play of their Busta Cup match at Kaiser. Venura, on 39 on Friday, was left undefeated on 52 yesterday.
Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
CRICKET IS a game in which the unexpected can happen at any time, it is a game in which the course of a match can be altered by one delivery, by one stroke, anyone who has ever played it knows that it is never over until the fat lady sings, and that is why it is loved by so many.
Well, it was cricket, lovely cricket on the second day of the Busta Series top-of-the-table clash between Jamaica and the Leeward Islands at Kaiser Sports Club in Discovery Bay yesterday as Jamaica, on the ropes at one time, staged a recovery so dramatic that they ended the day well in command - especially with the pitch promising to be a nightmare for the team batting last.
Thirty-five minutes before tea, the Leeward Islands, replying to Jamaica's 257, were sailing along merrily at 104 without loss, and with captain Stuart Williams and Alex Adams stroking the ball sweetly, with captain Robert Samuels having already called on six bowlers without success, Jamaica were wobbling and in serious trouble.
At stumps, however, Jamaica, 14 in their second innings after eclipsing the Leeward Islands for 162 in their first innings, boasted a handsome lead of 109 and at that time it was the Leeward Islands hanging on.
In a fairytale performance, Jamaica, thanks to one wicket by Ricardo Powell, six by Gareth Breese, two by Ryan Cunningham, and one by Jermaine Lawson, picked up all 10 Leeward Islands wickets for a mere 58 runs in 101 minutes and 31 overs on either side of tea - the first six falling for 10 runs in 49 minutes and 17 overs of biting spin.
Statistically the hero was Breese - the offspinner who varied his flight and his pace well, and who got the ball to spin on the responsive pitch. The toast of the Jamaican performance however, was Ricardo Powell who, after all others had failed because of inconsistent line and length, set up the assault by opening the door for Breese and Cunningham with a lovely delivery.
With Stuart Williams cutting and driving square on the offside and flicking short deliveries through the onside with his usual confidence, with Adams driving powerful to long-off and to mid-wicket, and with the fans wondering if and when Jamaica would get a wicket, Samuels, probably in desperation, called on Ricardo Powell.
Then the part-time offspinner produced the unexpected in his first over when he trapped Adams leg before wicket with the batsman, beaten through the air, going forward, then back and missing the ball.
That was 104 for one, and with the spinners, suddenly on a spot and extracting a fair amount of turn and bounce from the pitch, with Sylvester Joseph, the man who cracked 211 not out against the West Indies B in the last round, going caught at silly point for zero after prodding forward to Breese.
Then with Dave Joseph, after surviving a simple stumping chance off Cunningham, attempting to drive the left-arm spinner through the onside and tapping a return catch back to the bowler, and with Stuart Williams driving Breese to mid-on, it was 112 for four at tea with Jamaica grabbing four wickets for eight runs in 11 overs.
The worst, for the Leeward Islands, was yet to come.
Ten minutes after the interval when Ian Tittle, the left-hander who spanked the bowlers of the West Indies B for 101 not out, went forward and then back to Cunningham, edged a catch to Samuels at slip and departed for zero, it was 113 for five.
Four minutes later when Omari Banks drove ambitiously at Breese and the ball flew off the inside edge of his bat, onto his pad and then to Leon Garrick at silly point, it was 114 for six, and but for a couple of lusty blows by Adam Sanford, that was it for the Leeward Islands.
Minutes before bad light stopped play, David Bernard Jnr. aimed a big drive at Sanford and was caught in the slips by Sylvester Joseph.
Resuming at 209 for seven, Jamaica lost their remaining three wickets for the addition of 48 runs with pacer Jeremy picking up two for 17 to finish with five for 51.
For Jamaica, Mario Ventura, on 39 after a heroic performance on the opening day, ended undefeated with a well played, well deserved 52 - his third half century and his third unconquered stand of the season.
SCOREBOAD
Jamaica first innings
(Resumed at 209-7, 90 overs, Ventura 39, D. Powell 25)
| R | M | B | 4 | 6 |
| M. Ventura not out | 52 | 301 | 223 | 4 | 0 |
| D. Powell lbw Jeremy | 27 | 70 | 58 | 2 | 1 |
| J. Lawson b Jeremy | 10 | 17 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| R. Cunningham run out | 16 | 34 | 30 | 3 | 0 |
Extras: (b9, lb18, w17 , nb9) 53
Total: (437 minutes, 104.5 overs) 257
Fall: 0 (1), 22 (2), 41 (3), 55 (4), 73 (5), 85 (7), 158 (8), 212 (9), 225 (10), 257 (11)
Bowling: G. Prince 25/11/47/1 nb1 (22/11/35/1 - overnight, 4/0/12/0 nb1)
A. Sanford 20/3/72/2 w16 ; K. Jeremy 25/5/51/5 nb4, w1 (17/3/34/3 w1 - overnight, 7/2/17/2 nb3); O. Banks 29.5/10/49/1 nb4 (26/10/31/1 nb3 - overnight, 3.5/0/18/0)
A. Adams 2/0/5/0; I. Tittle 3/1/6/0
Leeward Islands first innings
| S. Williams c Bernard b Breese | 57 | 163 | 113 | 8 | 0 |
| A. Adams lbw R. Powell | 46 | 124 | 111 | 6 | 0 |
| S. Joseph c Garrick b Breese | 0 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| D. Joseph c and b Cunningham | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| J. Mitchum c Hibbert b Lawson | 18 | 77 | 78 | 0 | 0 |
| I. Tittle c Samuels b Cunningham | 0 | 15 | 17 | | 0 |
| 0 |
| O. Banks c Garrick b Breese | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| J. Williams b Breese | 6 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| K. Jeremy b Breese | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| A. Sanford b Breese | 16 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| G. Prince not out | 7 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
Extras: (b7, nb2) 9
Total: (225 minutes, 63.3 overs) 162
Fall: 104 (2), 105 (3), 112 (4), 112 (1), 113 (6), 114 (7), 128 (8), 128 (9), 150 (10), 162 (5)
Bowling: L. Williams 4//0/19/0; D. Powell 8/0/34/0 (3/0/9/0, 5/0/25/0); G. Breese 25/9/57/6 (5/0/18/0, 4/2/4/0, 16/7/35/6); J. Lawson 6.3/1/14/1 nb2 (6/1/14/0 nb2, .3/0/0/1); R. Cunningham 15/10/15/2 (3/3/0/0, 12/7/15/2) D. Bernard 1/0/8/0; R. Powell 4/2/8/1
Jamaica second innings
| L. Garrick not out | 4 | 28 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | | | D. Bernard c S. Joseph b Sanford 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | K. Hibbert not out 8 | 21 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
Extras: (b1, lb1) 2
Total: (28 minutes, one wkt) 14
Fall: 4 (2)
Bowling: Prince 3/1/3/0; Sanford 3/0/9/1; Banks 1/1/0/0
