By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
Pacer Andrew Richardson of Nehemiah Perry's XI rejoices after removing Donovan Pagon caught and bowled for 190 during their Jamaica Cricket Association practice match against Robert Samuels' XI at Melbourne Oval yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
JAMAICA'S batsmen continued to show improved form ahead of the regional first-class season as Donovan Pagon scored 190 to help Robert Samuels' XI to 418 for six, replying to Nehemiah Perry's XI 454 all out.
Pagon's innings is the second dominant batting performance of the game, following Brenton Parchment's career-best 200 in Perry XI's big total on the second day of the match played at Melbourne Oval.
This is a big difference in comparison to the earlier practice matches in which the batsmen found runs hard to come by and national selector, Lyndel Wright, is heartened by the improvements.
"The game is not really about a result, what we are really focusing on is people's performance," Wright said. "However, I must say that from what we saw with the batsmen, yes, there are some positives.
"We have seen two centuries scored and to me what is important about them is that they are big centuries," he added.
Resuming at 246 for three with a 208-run deficit, the overnight Pagon watched carefully, much unlike his partner, David Bernard Jnr., who failed to add to his overnight 11, falling to leg-spinner Odean Brown (1-53).
However, as he has done on several occasions, skipper Robert Samuels (47 - 3x4, 2x6) joined Pagon and the two added 108 runs for the fifth wicket before the latter's seven-and-a-half hours innings came to an end, caught and bowled by pacer Andrew Richardson (1-79).
The 20-year-old Pagon, a member of the West Indies 'A' team, struck 18 fours and two sixes in his 451-ball knock while sharing in two important partnerships with Maurice Kepple (60) and Samuels.
Also getting among the runs on yesterday's final day's play were wicketkeepers Keith Hibbert (29 - 2x4) and Matthew Sinclair (22 - 2x4), both sharing in an unbeaten 47-run seventh wicket stand.
Wright, who is also the manager of the senior team, said he hopes the other batsmen will recognise the importance of application, having seen that youngsters Parchment and Pagon scored big hundreds.
"Selectors want to see batsmen scoring centuries, bowlers getting five wickets or more," he said. "We saw in this game where young Taylor (Jerome) picked up five for 53 and Sanson (Audley) three for 64. It is enlightening to see those kind of performances," he said.
Jamaica preparing for the regional first class season will cut their 28-man training squad to 16 on Sunday at the end of the final practice match at Sabina Park. They will play their first game in the four-day competition away to the Leeward Islands, starting on January 31.
