- FilePowell ... 100 not out.
RED-HOT Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) have placed themselves in a strong position to take the Surrey Senior Cup title after an interesting day of final preliminary round matches in the Rothmans National Cricket Championship.
Needing to score an outright victory over the struggling Boys' Town at Camp to remain at pole position, the Soldiers are on target to achieve that objective after picking up first innings points.
At the close of play, Boys' Town were struggling at 48 for five in their second innings, needing a further 50 runs to make JDF bat again.
Scores: Boys' Town 39 (batting two short) and 48 for five; JDF 137 including 43 penalty runs as a result of the visitors failing to put together a team for a 10:00 a.m. start. JDF declared their first innings at 94 without loss.
Kingston and Kensington also had good first days but Melbourne, another team in the hunt for a berth in National Championship semi-finals, a big setback as a the result of no play in their game against St. Thomas at Goodyear Oval.
At Sabina Park, Kingston who are pressing for an outright victory, have cleared the first hurdle by taking first innings points from Police.
Led by an attacking undefeated 100 from number three batsman Ricardo Powell, Kingston declared their first innings on 138 for three after they had bundled out Police for 85 runs.
At the close of play, Police who trail by 53 runs, were three without loss; after nearly two hours of play was lost as a result of rain.
However, the day belonged to Powell, who with Kingston on 56 for two, stepped in and plundered the Police attack. The attacking batsman blasted 12 boundaries including eight sixes and occupied the crease for 100 minutes and faced 76 balls.
AT UP PARK CAMP: Scores: Boys' Town 39 (Julian Creffer 11; Paul Brown 4-11, Wayne Cuff 3-2) and 48 for five when rain stopped play (Fraz Foster 18 not out; Cuff 2-9) JDF 137 which included 43 penalty runs (Warren Medwynter 55 not out, Mel Wint 25 not out).
AT CHEDWIN PARK: Rain shortened play in the match between Portland and St. Catherine CC who were 51 without loss with Renford Pinnock Jr. on 24 and Dean Morgan at the crease when the rain came.
AT KENSINGTON: Ken-sington are on course for first innings points over Lucas in their rain affected match. Scores: Lucas 97 (Andre Coley 22; Marcus Stewart 3-20, David Bernard Jr. 2-16, Kevin Peart 2-9). Kensington 61 for one (Samuel Douglas 36 not out).
SCOREBOARD
New Zealand innings
S. Fleming b Gayle 89
N. Astle b Dillon 2
C. Nevin c Jacobs b Collins 15
C. McMillan b Collins 0
C. Harris lbw Collins 0
L. Vincent b R. Hinds 33
S. Styris b Dillon 85
D. Vettori not out 13
D. Tuffey not out 4
Extras (lb3, w4) 7
Total (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 248
Fall: 1-3, 2-53, 3-55, 4-55,5-112, 6-203, 7-235.
Bowling: Dillon 10-2-60-2 (1w), Cuffy 7-0-43-0 (1w), Collins 9-2-33-3, Gayle 10-0-48-1 (1w), Hooper 4-0-15-0, R. Hinds 10-0-46-1 (1w).
West Indies innings
C. Gayle c Vettori b Tuffey 30
S. Chanderpaul not out 108
R. Sarwan b Hitchcock 44
C. Hooper b Hitchcock 47
R. Jacobsc Vettori b Hitchcock 3
B. Lara not out 9
Extras (lb1, w4, nb4) 9
Total (for four wkts, 49.1 overs) 250
Fall: 1-55, 2-141, 3-225, 4-233.
Bowling:Tuffey 8.1-1-36-1 (1w), Bond 9-0-59-0 (3nb, 3w), Hitchcock 10-0-43-3 (1nb), Vettori 10-0-54-0, Harris 10-1-39-0, Styris 2-0-18-0.
Man of the match: Chanderpaul.
