By Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
Jamaica's Gareth Breese plays a shot on his way to his half century against West Indies B at Discovery Bay yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
DISCOVERY BAY:
JAMAICA ALL but wrapped up their Carib Beer Series encounter with West Indies B on day two at the Kaiser Sports Club yesterday. The knockout punch will be delivered today.
Boasting a lead of 31 runs with eight wickets in hand at the resumption of play, the not so gracious hosts ground their way to an imposing first innings lead of 207 before declaring at tea on 301-7. They then routed the Windies B batting order and had the young visitors reeling at 119 for eight at stumps with just the formality of wrapping up the tail this morning.
The early departures of opener Brenton Parchment for 69, palpably trapped in front of the three sticks by compatriot Andrew Richardson, and skipper Robert Samuels for five, bowled around his legs by off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth, gave West Indies B a glimmer of hope in the morning session but that was soon dulled by David Bernard and Gareth Breese.
Bernard, resuming on four, comfortably advanced to 39 at the first break, while Breese, still noticeably struggling with a sore left knee, cruised to 31 as the pair put on 58 for the fifth wicket in quick time.
The latter was particularly harsh on Jaggernauth, whom he disdainfully crunched through covers three times.
Immediately after lunch, Bernard (43) undid all his hard work with a lazy drive straight to mid-on off Richardson, but the nuggety Breese and wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert (23) kept the scoreboard ticking over and the all-rounder reached a well deserved half century - which included a huge six over mid-wicket.
He looked completely at ease on a wicket taking some turn and providing swing for the quicks - especially the aggressive Richardson. However, upon reaching 70, medium-quick Jason Bennett induced an edge which was superbly claimed by Jamaican 'keeper Carlton Baugh in front of first slip just a quarter of an hour before tea.
Facing a tricky final session and nasty deficit, the young West Indians were soon on the backfoot and then utterly humbled.
Hell hath no fury like a fast bowler on a roll and Daren Powell, who tore West Indies B to shreds in the first innings with figures of 5-34, immediately made inroads by having opener Martin Nurse caught at first slip by Mario Ventura for a duck with only a run on the board.
He then bowled skipper Shane Jeffers (six) with the scoreboard reading 10 to effectively stifle any potential of an early fightback.
As the sun drifted behind the western hills, three quick wickets fell to Bernard, thanks partly to astute captaincy from Samuels.
He put in a second slip (Breese) for Bernard's first over and abruptly had the dangerous Narsingh Deonarine (32) caught there; and then placed a shortish mid-wicket, Mario Ventura, for Aneil Kanhai (17) to the same bowler and that batsman promptly found him.
The fifth wicket fell when Bernard uprooted the leg stump of Gregory Mahabir for 10.
Then the spinners chimed in. Breese induced an edge to Hibbert from the in-form Baugh (21) and bowled Jaggernauth (0) while Nehemiah Perry accounted for Browne (18), caught a mid-wicket by Breese.
Bernard, continuing a rich vein of form, had figures of 3-24 off 16 overs while Powell had 2-35 and Breese 2-12.
Skipper Samuels understated that things were going "quite well" for his team after stumps were drawn three overs early.
"I needed 200 to declare and I wanted to do that by tea, so that worked well for us," he said.
"The fast bowlers have really picked up their games and that has been the most impressive thing for me coming out of this match. Breese played his usual sort of innings and that also gave us a lift.
"However, the biggest plus from this season so far has been the form of Bernard. He's looking good - leading the batting averages and also the fast bowling ones, I believe."
SCOREBOARD
West Indies B first innings 94
Jamaica first innings
(Resumed at 125-2, Parchment 65, Bernard 4)
| R | M | B | 4 | 6 | Fall |
| B. Parchment lbw Richardson | 69 | 226 | 166 | 7 | - | 137 |
| D. Bernard c Jaggernauth b Deonarine | 43 | 151 | 115 | 5 | - | 222 |
| R. Samuels b Jaggernauth | 10 | 55 | 39 | 2 | - | 164 |
| G. Breese c Baugh b Bennett | 70 | 168 | 124 | 11 | 1 | 294 |
| K. Hibbert c Jaggernauth b Richardson | 23 | 89 | 42 | 4 | - | 278 |
| N. Perry not out | 3 | 31 | 18 | - | - | 301 |
| D. Powell not out | 3 | 13 | 8 | - | - | 301 |
Extras (b15, lb2, w4, nb19) 41
TOTAL (for seven wkts dec. - 465 mins off 108 overs) 301
Bowling: Richardson: 20-6-50-3 (nb4, w1), Thomas 14-2-53-0 (w2), Bennett 19-3-56-1 (nb14), Jeffers 3-0-17-0, Jaggernauth 29-7-61-2 (w1), Deonarine 17-5-33-1 , Kanhai 5-0-14-0.
West Indies B second innings
| R | M | B | 4 | 6 | Fall |
| S. Jeffers b Powell | 6 | 15 | 10 | 1 | - | 10 |
| M. Nurse c Ventura b Powell | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| N. Deonarine c Breese b Bernard | 32 | 73 | 60 | 3 | 1 | 55 |
| A. Kanhai c Ventura b Bernard | 17 | 69 | 42 | 2 | - | 67 |
| G. Mahabir b Bernard | 10 | 25 | 17 | 1 | - | 80 |
| C. Baugh c Hibbert b Breese | 21 | 58 | 41 | 4 | - | 118 |
| P. Browne c Breese b Perry | 18 | 46 | 33 | 3 | - | 119 |
| A. Jaggernauth b Breese | 0 | 8 | 5 | - | - | 119 |
A. Richardson not out 0
J. Bennett not out 0
Extras: (b4, lb6, w1, nb4) 15
TOTAL: (for eight wkts - 156 mins, 35 overs) 119
Bowling: Powell 8-0-35-2 (w1), Sanson 3-0-15-0, Breese 9-4-12-2, Cunningham 6-2-10-0, Bernard 6-2-24-3 (nb1), Perry 3-0-13-1 (nb2).
Report courtesy of Breezes Runaway Bay.
