GEORGETOWN, CMC:
OPENER BRENTON Parchment narrowly failed to register his maiden first-class century but Jamaica enjoyed a good batting day against Guyana on the opening day of their fifth round Carib Beer 2003 Cricket Series match at Bourda yesterday.Parchment struck 95 and Leon Garrick smashed an enterprising 74 reigning Cup champions Jamaica ended the day 236 for four with David Bernard not on 15 and captain Robert Samuels yet to score, accepting an offer for light at 5.46 p.m.
Electing to bat first on a typically flat Bourda surface, the Jamaicans made full use of the conditions before a late two-wicket strike set them back.
Returning for a belated third spell, fast medium bowler Rayon Griffith got rid of the stodgy Mario Ventura for 33, and one run later, night-watchman Ryan Cunningham (1) edged leg-spinner Mahendra Magamootoo to Neil McGarrell at slip.
Nagamootoo has so far claimed two for 71 in 31 overs.
Playing in his seventh regional first class match, Parchment, who captained the West Indies Under-19s to their summer tour of England in 2001, shared in an
opening partnership of 135 in 116 minutes with Garrick, and 62 for the second wicket Ventura.
Parchment and Garrick gave the Jamaicans a flying start, taking heavy toll of the inexperienced Guyanese opening bowlers in Rayon Griffith, in his third regional match for Guyana and debutant Naresh Roopnarine, who replaced injured fast bowler Reon King.
The first five overs produced some 43 runs with both Garrick and Parchment pouncing on a feast of short pitched deliveries.
Garrick, in particular, pulling the bowlers with disdain to all parts of the parched outfield.
The introduction of Nagamootoo and the switching of Roopnarine to the northern end, failed to stem the flow of runs as the openers raised 50 in 39 minutes off 7.1 overs.
The diminutive Garrick, who seemed intent on belting the Guyana attack, pulled Roopnarine through wide long-on and on-drove him in the same direction off successive deliveries as the Jamaicans rattled to 76 in the first hour.
Garrick reached 50 with his tenth four, a flowing extra cover drive off left-arm spinner McGarrell, while Parchment brought up the visitors' 100 shortly after in 87 minutes off 20.2 overs.
Parchment, also entertaining, drove McGarrell for successive boundaries, the first through cover and the other a lofted extra cover stroke while Garrick joined the fray with two sweetly-timed extra cover fours in the same over off McGarrell, the last bringing the showers and a stoppage at 11:32 a.m. with Jamaica on 114 without loss in the available 92 minutes.
No play was possible until 1:45 p.m., and the openers protracted their stand to 135 before Garrick, in attempting to cut Nagamootoo, was snapped up at slip by McGarrell.
His 74 included 14 fours in 116 minutes off 113 balls.
Parchment reached his second half-century in this year's tournament shortly after but the entry of Ventura changed the entire complexion of the game as while his partner continued to flow, the left-hander was just content to play quietly.
Parchment, dropped on 77 by Travis Dowlin at extra cover off Nagamootoo, celebrated the reprieve by hoisting the bowler over wide long-on for a big six.
Looking well set for three figures, Parchment went caught at slip by Nagamootoo, trying to cut a McGarrell delivery.
Parchment's knock was laced with 14 fours and a six in 200 minutes off 164 balls.
