Jamaica's captain Jamie Trenchfield celebrates scoring a century in their TCL Group West Indies Under-19 league final against Barbados at Sabina Park yesterday.
-Ian Allen photo
Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
A CENTURY by captain Jamie Trenchfield and three wickets from left-arm spinner Dennis Bulli combined to put Jamaica in a good position to seal championship honours against Barbados in the TCL Group West Indies Under-19 three-day final at Sabina Park.
Winning first innings points is absolutely vital as today is the final day and it seems highly likely that the match will be decided on first innings.
At the end of yesterday's second day play, Trenchfield's 105 provided the base for Jamaica's 300 all out, while Bulli's 3-38 off 16 overs reduced Barbados to 151 for five at the close.
Starting the day on 231 for five, Trenchfield on 81 and Jeffery Scott 11 took the score to 254 when left-arm spinner Steve Pinder removed the latter Leg Before Wicket. Scott, who batted for almost three hours, contributed 19 in their 74-run sixth wicket partnership.
Trenchfield continued to plug his way towards his first century at this level in a brief association with Craigian Malcolm which yielded 15 runs and in the process, saw the skipper achieve the coveted landmark.
HIS CENTURY
The left-handed batsman brought up his century when he drove pacer Ruel Brathwaite for a single.
Shortly after reaching his century, Trenchfield and Malcolm, eight, fell within six runs with the score reading 275 for eight.
Malcolm ran himself out while Trenchfield, who batted for six hours for his 105, faced 222 deliveries, off which he struck eight fours.
Trenchfield, who had scored only 89 runs in six previous innings at an average of 14.83, credited coach Junior Bennett for his timely return to form.
"He (Bennett) spoke to me a lot and worked with me during training."
Williams, 13, and Bulli, 13, put on 23 for Jamaica's last wicket, which took them up to 300.
Pinder ended with 3-60, Barrington Yearwood 2-65 and Brathwaite 2-61.
When Barbados replied, Renaldo Parris, 27, and Nicholas Squires, 59 not out, gave their team a 42-run opening stand. However, with the absence of pacer Roy Williams, who injured himself while batting, Trenchfield had to implement other plans.
In doing so, Jamaica were able to celebrate its biggest wicket when off-spinner Ziggy Levy had Barbados' most prolific scorer, Parris, caught behind by wicketkeeper Jeffery Scott for 27.
Barbados never faltered though as Squires and Neval Grazette, 28, put together 42 for the second wicket.
Bulli's introduction was as timely as it was effective and almost immediately he picked up Grazette and Kevin Stoute with successive deliveries.
Barbados went on to lose Orman Kellman, nine, and Omar Phillips, 14, to Bulli and Yanick Elliott respectively.
Trenchfield said Barbados have already scored too many runs.
"I think they got too much runs but we can work with that. We bowled a lot of short balls. Tomorrow morning first thing we are going for those five wickets," he said.
Barbados' captain, Parris, said Jamaica batted well but "we are coming tomorrow to play good cricket".
