By Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
Jamaica's captain, Gareth Breese, celebrates the leg before wicket dismissal of Leeward Islands' Sylvester Joseph for 89 during yesterday's second day of their Carib Beer Series match at Alpart. The wicketkeeper is Carlton Baugh. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
JAMAICA STAYED on course for the No. 2 spot at the end of the preliminary round of the Carib Beer Cricket Series and to play at home in the semi-finals of the International Challenge Trophy when they snatched first innings lead from a stubborn, fighting Leeward Islands at Alpart yesterday.
Then, with top batsman Christopher Gayle setting the pace with his sixth century in the regional contest, they dominated the rest of the day.
At stumps on the second day the scoreboard read: Jamaica 200 and 158 without loss off 36 overs, the Leeward Islands 190, and with a lead of 168, with all their second innings wickets in hand, with Gayle on 103 and Maurice Kepple on 47, with two days to go, the home team is in command and in a wonderful position from which to press for a victory that would not only seal second place and hand them the hometown advantage in the semi-finals of the Challenge Trophy but which would also keep them away from red-hot Cup champions Barbados.
With the Leeward Islands resuming on 39 for five, Jamaica, even without captain and offspinner Gareth Breese who retired hurt during Jamaica's first innings with a broken bone above the left wrist, were expected to wrap up the innings early and enjoy a substantial lead.
Unfortunately for Jamaica, however, the not out batsmen were captain Sylvester Joseph and Ridley Jacobs, with Stuart Williams absent, they are the best of the Leeward Islands and, along with Chaka Hodge, they pushed Jamaica to the hilt before falling short by 10 runs.
Hitting the ball with relish, the left-handed Jacobs smashed six fours and scored 32 before he was caught at silly point by Keith Hibbert off offspinner Gayle at 81 for six.
At that stage, with Jacobs going out and Hodge coming in, it appeared that Jamaica, despite the presence of a brilliant Joseph, were on the way.
Once considered one of the brightest batting prospects in the West Indies, the 25-year-old Joseph and Hodge moved into Jamaica's bowlers, played some wonderful shots, posted 81 runs for the seventh wicket and looked like stealing the honours before Breese, his left arm in plaster from wrist to elbow, strode on to the field, took the ball immediately, and after a few overs, trapped Joseph leg before wicket for 89 at 162 for seven.
BRAVE EFFORT
It was a brave effort by Breese who was told by a doctor that he would be out of action for four weeks and who, after bowling one over and leaving the field, after he returned to bowl the next over and was told by the umpires that he would not be allowed a substitute if he left again, bowled 12 consecutive overs on either side of lunch and picked up a second wicket when he had Gavin Tonge caught by Hibbert at short-leg at 164 for eight.
With Breese breaking the seventh-wicket partnership, picking up the eighth wicket and leaving the firing line after an assault by Hodge who smashed two sixes over mid-wicket in one over, Andrew Richardson trapped Adam Sanford leg before wicket and Daren Powell, four for 18 on the previous day, removed Dane Weston, caught at cover, to hand Jamaica the lead and to finish with five for 40 off 10.4 overs.
Breathing a sigh of relief after surviving Joseph, who stroked 11 fours and hit one six, and Hodge, who blasted three sixes and three fours in his 46 not out, Jamaica went to bat in the second innings, and with Kepple looking solid and playing some confident strokes - including a glorious drive to the long-on boundary and a savage hook off pacer Weston, Gayle, in total command, driving, cutting, pulling and hooking, smashed 16 fours and one six - a powerful drive over extra-cover off offspinner Hodge - in an innings that has so far lasted a mere 96 deliveries.
