- Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
The Windwards' Shane Shillingford is bowled by Jamaica's David Bernard yesterday in their Carib Beer International Series match at Alpart.
Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
IT IS said that catches win matches and although it may not have mattered, David Bernard Jnr. took one so brilliant at Alpart yesterday that apart from knocking the fight out of the Windward Islands, it must have inspired Jamaica who went on to win first innings lead and have all but booked a place in the final of the Carib Beer International Challenge Trophy.
At stumps on the third day of the semi-final match, the scoreboard read, Jamaica 338 and 145 for two, the Windward Islands 249, and with one day to go, with first innings lead good enough for a place in the final, with their overall lead now 234 with eight wickets in hand and the match heading for a draw, Jamaica appear on the way to the final.
DANGEROUS RAWL LEWIS
Starting the third day of the semi-final match on 121 for four with the dangerous Rawl Lewis and the solid, defensive Sergio Fedee at the crease and the also dangerous Darren Sammy, Lyndon James, Shane Shilling-ford and Deighton Butler to come, the Windward Islands, trailing by 217, were still in with a chance of winning the lead.
Also with Lewis cutting fast bowler Daren Powell for four and then hitting offspinner Nehemiah Perry over long-off for four and then over long-on for six, they were on the go early and looked threatening.
With the fans whispering, "this man looks dangerous, we have to get rid of him", Lewis, bubbling with confidence, drove Powell powerfully, and with the ball sailing away to his right, Bernard, at mid-off, raced to his left, took off like an old-time goalkeeper, plucked the ball out of the air with both hands, fell to the ground and came up with the ball in his hands as the fielders, and the grateful bowler, raced towards him.
That was 148 for five, the look on Lewis' face as he walked away was one of disappointment, Sammy's walk as he went to bat suggested that he believed that the gods were against the Windward Islands, the energy of the Jamaicans afterwards hinted that they knew they were on the way, and if catches really win matches, that was one.
A few minutes later, fast bowler Andrew Richardson, who, like Powell, bowled fast and got the ball to move away off the seam, made it 158 for six when Sammy went back without getting behind the ball and edged a low catch to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jnr.
In the first over after lunch, right-arm legspinner Odean Brown made it 200 for seven when the left-handed Fedee pushed a bouncing delivery into Keith Hibbert's hands at forward short-leg.
Wicket number eight was surrounded with controversy when James swung Brown high to the mid-wicket boundary and Tamar Lambert, running towards the boundary, caught the ball coming over his left shoulder and then threw it over his head as he ran over the boundary rope.
To the disappointment of the batsman and his colleagues, James was ruled out after standing umpire Eddie Nichols of Guyana had checked with Basil Morgan of Montserrat at square-leg.
Jamaica first innings 338
Windwards first innings
(Resumed at 121-4)
D. Smith c Lambert b Perry 51
R. Lewis c Bernard b Powell 45
D. Sammy c Baugh b Richardson 2
L. James c Lambert b Brown 29
S. Shillingford b Bernard 14
D. Butler c Bernard b Perry 22
F. Thomas not out 9
Extras (lb5, nb5, w1) 11
TOTAL (all out - 93.5 overs) 249
Fall: 1-13, 2-85, 3-85, 4-86, 5-148, 6-158, 7-200, 8-208, 9-233.
Bowling: Powell 16-4-32-1, Richardson 15-3-38-2(1nb), Gayle 9-5-12-0, Perry 24.5-6-68-3(4nb); Bernard 13-4-56-2; Brown 16-4-38-2.
Jamaica second innings
C. Gayle c Fedee b Thomas 71
M. Kepple c Sammy b Lewis 37
D. Pagon not out 13
T. Lambert not out 20
Extras (nb4) 4
TOTAL (for two wkts - 42 overs) 145
Fall: 1-110, 2-117
Bowling: Thomas 8-2-22-1, Butler 5-0-29-0(2nb), Shillingford 3-0-21-0, Sammy
11-1-27-0, Lewis 13-4-38-1(2nb), Fedee 2-0-8-0.
