By Anthony Foster, Staff Reporter 
Tamar Lambert, playing for Gareth Breese XI, pulls through mid-wicket during his unbeaten innings of 119 against Nehemiah Perry's XI in Jamaica's final practice match at Sabina Park yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
MIDDLE-ORDER batsman Tamar Lambert strengthened his claims for inclusion in Jamaica's squad for its opening match, away against the Windwards Islands, in the Carib Beer Series.
He fashioned a stroke-filled unbeaten century, 119, for Gareth Breese's XI against Nehemiah Perry's XI in Jamaica's final practice match at Sabina Park yesterday.
Lambert, a former Jamaica Youth captain, spent almost four hours at the crease and struck 12 fours and two huge sixes, both off left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham, in his 194-ball knock to help Breese's XI to 282 for four as the three-day match got underway.
The St. Catherine CC player shared two very important partnerships, the first of yielding 113 runs for the third wicket with Brenton Parchment who made 49.
This was after opener Lorenzo Ingram, 17, and Donovan Pagon, seven, were dismissed early.
PARCHMENT'S DISMISSAL
After Parchment's dismissal at 155 for three, Lambert found another useful partner in Young West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall. The two added 123 for the fourth wicket.
However, after hitting David Bernard Jnr. (2-57) for a straight six followed by four fours in three overs Marshall, who is preparing for the Youth World Cup, fell to the same bowler, caught at wide mid-on by Ingram.
Breese, two, and Lambert will resume when play resumes at 10:00 a.m. this morning.
Despite giving credit to the batsmen, coach Robert Haynes was not too happy with the bowlers, especially as they sent down 31 no balls.
"It's very displeasing to see when your two main bowlers with the calibre of Bernard and Dwight Mais bowling so many no balls."
Both bowlers delivered 12 no balls each.
"...They were trying to get the extra pace and they overstepped. But there is no excuse, I think as professional cricketers they really need to come and stay behind the crease, because you don't want to get into a situation where you are getting players out and umpire calls 'no ball'," bemoaned Haynes.
In the four Jamaica Trial matches played last year, 107 no balls were bowled. Mais sent down the most, 32, followed by Bernard (23), Krishmar Santokie and spinner Andre Dwyer (13) and Andrew Richardson (11).
