By Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
Jamaica's opener Chris Gayle leans out of the path of a bouncer from Guyana's Reon King (right) during first day action in the Busta International Shield final at Sabina Park yesterday. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is at slip while the wicketkeeper is Azib Haniff. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
THE four-day showdown between Jamaica and Guyana for the Busta International Shield and the 10,000 US dollars first prize got under way at Sabina Park yesterday and based on the action so far, Jamaica have a fight on their hands if they hope to retain the title.
At stumps on a day of tight cricket, Jamaica were 229 for six, and although the contest is far from over, although Gareth Breese, not out on eight, and Laurie Williams, still to come, could bat them into a winning position, the odds are in Guyana's favour.
Batting first after Guyana had won the toss and sent them to bat in beautiful sunshine and on a pitch that looked full of runs, Jamaica squandered two glorious opportunities to dominate the day's play.
At one stage on a day of gripping action, the defending champions and Busta Cup champions were going well at 102 without loss before they lost two quick wickets. At another stage they were well in command at 205 for three before they lost three wickets for 21 runs in the closing minutes.
The two quick wickets came shortly after lunch when Gayle, after hitting Mahendra Nagamootoo over long-on for six, drove the right-arm legspinner to Ramnaresh Sarwan at mid-on, and when Garrick drove the same bowler to Hooper at short extra-cover.
The three wickets towards the end, the three that really hurt Jamaica, fell when captain Robert Samuels attempted top hit a full toss from Nagamootoo to mid-wicket, missed the ball and was leg before wicket 205 for four, when Ricardo Powell drove loosely at Nagamootoo and was caught by Neil McGarrell at slip at 205 for five, and when Keith Hibbert drove a slower delivery from King to McGarrell in the covers at 226 for six.
For the fans who turned up expecting to witness some dazzling stroke play, it was a disappointment.
But for the cheers when Gayle hit King high to the mid-wicket boundary and when Garrick drove pacer Colin Stuart to the long-on boundary before lunch, when Wavell Hinds smashed Nagamootoo for six over long-on after lunch, and when Hibbert reeled off a lovely front-foot drive off Nagamootoo through extra-cover and Samuels late-cut Stuart delicately to the thirdman boundary in the final session, Sabina Park was almost as quiet as a church.
For those who enjoy a riveting contest, however, it was a lovely day - a day during which the contest, the struggle of the batsmen to bat long, the struggle of the bowlers to dismiss them or to limit the runs, lived up to the occasion.
After going to lunch in a comfortable position and then losing Gayle and Garrick during some wonderful spin bowling by Nagamootoo and Hooper, Jamaica, thanks to Hibbert and Hinds, Hibbert and Samuels, returned to a position of strength before Hooper and Nagamootoo pegged them back again.
With Hibbert, who survived a confident shout for leg before wicket when he went back to his first delivery and was beaten by a Nagamootoo googly, and Hinds, who was beaten time and time again by offspinner Hooper, recovering from a shaky starts and playing with authority, Jamaica were going well before Hinds, beaten off the pitch by Hooper and probably the victim of an umpire's error, was caught at the wicket at 139 for three.
Unlike both Hibbert and Hinds, Samuels started confidently, and with Hibbert now stroking the ball from the middle of the bat, with a drive through extra-cover off Nagamootoo a fitting testimony to his timing, Jamaica were back in control at 205 for three and with the clock ticking towards the close of the day's play, really looking good.
Hooper, however, was back, so too Nagamootoo, and with Hooper keeping things tight at one end, Nagamootoo struck twice in one over by removing both Samuels and Ricardo Powell.
The dismissal of Hibbert after the players had returned following a short stoppage due to bad light left Jamaica hoping that Breese and Williams will come to their rescue when the action resumes this morning - either that or that their bowlers have something special up their sleeves.
SCOREBOARD
Jamaica first innings
| R | M | B | 4 | 6 |
| L. Garrick c Hooper b Nagamootoo | 36 | 148 | 115 | 3 | 0 |
| C. Gayle c Sarwan b Nagamootoo | 41 | 131 | 102 | 2 | 1 |
| W. Hinds c wkt Azib Haniff b Hooper | 17 | 69 | 78 | 2 | 1 |
| K. Hibbert c McGarrell b King | 44 | 202 | 164 | 2 | 0 |
| R. Samuels lbw Nagamotoo | 33 | 96 | 88 | 4 | 0 |
| R. Powell c McGarrell b Nagamootoo | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| G. Breese not out | 0 | 58 | 56 | 1 | 0 |
| R. Cunningham not out | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Extras: (b20, lb 15, nb14) 49
Total: (360 minutes, 99 overs) 229 for 7
Fall: 102 (2), 109 (1), 139 (3), 205 (5), 205(6), 226 (4)
Bowling: R. King 16/5/42/1 nb3 (5/4/11/0, 5/0/15/0, 2/0/10, 4/1/6/1 nb3)
C. Stuart 10/0/37/0 nb7 (7/2/26/0 nb6, 3/0/11/0 nb1)
N. McGarrell 19/10/16/0 (9/6/6/0, 10/4/10/0)
M. Nagamootoo 32/10/74/4 (19/6/46/2, 13/4/25/2)
C. Hooper 22/10/28/1 nb4 (17/8/23/1 nb 4, 5/2/5/0)
50 - 73 minutes, 96 balls; 100 - 130 minutes, 195 balls; 150 - 220 minutes, 381 balls; 200 - 290 minutes, 496 balls
Lunch - 85/0, 120 minutes, 28 overs, Garrick 27 - 120 minutes, 89 balls, 3x4, Gayle 29 - 120 minutes, 85 balls, 1x4
Tea - 160 for 3, 240 minutes, 67 overs, Hibbert 22 - 91 minutes, 84 balls, Samuels 9 - 38 minutes, 33 balls, 1x4 Toss: Guyana
Umpires: Billy Doctrove - Dominica, Basil Morgan - Montserrat
TV Umpire: Thomas Wilson
Fourth umpire - Norman Malcolm
