Hard-hitting batsman Ricardo Powell is run out for 51, by Leewards XI wicketkeeper Jason Williams, during yesterday's Red Stripe Bowl match at Kensington Park. Powell half century included four sixes and one four. -Junior Dowie photoTony Becca, Contributing Editor
JAMAICA OPENED their campaign in the 2003 Red Stripe Bowl cricket competition with a decisive victory over the Leeward Islands X1 at Kensington Park yesterday.
Hot favourites to win the title, Jamaica, sent to bat, cheered on by a fair-sized crowd and powered by some exciting strokes from Wavell Hinds, Ricardo Powell, Marlon Samuels and Carlton Baugh Jnr. in that order, dashed to 281 for seven off the allotted 50 overs and then brushed aside the Leeward Islands X1 for 176 in 47.2 overs to win by a commanding 104 runs.
On a pitch that saw some deliveries keeping low, a pitch surrounded by a thickly grassed and thus slow outfield, Jamaica's batsmen went for some big hits, timed the ball well, and to the delight of the fans, the result was 27 boundaries including 16 sixes.
BRILLIANT ONE-HANDED CATCH
Going to bat after Brenton Parchment was caught at mid-off by Omari Banks at mid-on off medium-pacer Tonito Willett at 32 for one in the eighth over, the left-handed Hinds hit four sixes and two fours off 31 deliveries, before he drove at medium-pacer Runako Morton and fell at 83 for one in the 11th over to a brilliant, one-handed catch by Chaka Hodge at short extra-cover.
With a subdued Christopher Gayle going for 22 off 60 deliveries at 99 for three in the 23rd over, Jamaica were in a spot of trouble before Marlon Samuels, who survived a first-ball leg before wicket appeal against Morton, and Ricardo Powell, who also almost failed to score, posted a 96-run fourth-wicket partnership in 16 overs.
Powell, batting with supreme confidence after escaping at zero when he stroked his second delivery, from offspinner Omari Banks, off his pads and Alex Adams failed to hold a sharp chance at forward short-leg, slammed four sixes and one four before he was runout for 51 at 195 for four in the 39th over.
MASSIVE DRIVES
All four sixes - two off Banks, one off the medium-pace of Shane Jeffers, one off left-arm spinner Virgil Browne - were massive drives.
The first one, however, off Banks bowling from the southern end, will be talked about for a long time. It took off like a rocket, it sailed straight, and it landed way beyond the boundary and outside the ground.
Samuels, settling in after a shaky start during which he also survived a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket, smashed five sixes and four fours before, with Gareth Breese edging pacer Elsroy Powell to wicketkeeper Jason Williams at 213 for five, he went at offspinner Hodge and was caught by Banks on the long-on boundary at 231 for six in the 45th over.
None of Samuels' sixes went as far as Ricardo Powell's drive off Banks. One of them, however, the last one, was a lovely drive - the batsman, batting at the southern end, chipping down the pitch and hitting Elsroy Powell over the sightscreen and into Preston Road.
ENTERTAINMENT
Baugh rounded off the entertainment for the hometown fans with a breezy innings of 41 not out off 28 deliveries. The little man hit two sixes in the final over bowled by Morton - including one, way over long-on, off the last ball.
The best of the Leeward Islands bowlers was Banks, who, despite the assault by Ricardo Powell, finished with one for 33 off his 10 overs.
Left a chase of 5.62 runs an over, the Leeward Islands X1 started promisingly and hopped to 29 without loss off four overs with Jeffers and Adams stroking the ball nicely.
That was too good to last, however, and although wicketkeeper Baugh dropped Adams, 18 at 31 for one, by the 12th over they were struggling at 57 for three with the left-handed Jeffers gone - caught by Marlon Samuels in the covers off fast bowler Daren Powell, Morton gone brilliantly caught by Ricardo Powell at cover pointoff medium-pacer David Bernard Jnr., and Adams gone caught by Baugh off Bernard.
As long as Stuart Williams was alive, however, the Leeward Islands X1 had a chance, and with Carl Tuckett as Williams' partner, they staged a good fightback and were going reasonably well before Tuckett retired ill at 103 for three in the 23rd over.
It was left to Williams, Willett and Banks, and when Williams departed caught by Ricardo Powell on the mid-wicket boundary off Breese at 115 for four in the 27th over, when Banks drove fast bowler Jerome Taylor straight to Robert Samuels at mid-wicket and went away at 117 for five in the 28th over, when Willett drove at Daren Powell and Bernard took a spectacular diving catch at mid-on to make it 141 for six in the 34th over, Jamaica were well on the way the match ending with Daren Powell running along the boundary rope at square-leg to catch last man Browne off Hinds.
The competition continues today at Alpart with Trinidad and Tobago, winners of the opening match against the Leeward Islands, going for victory number two against Canada who lost their first match to the Windward Islands.
