SAMUELS
GEORGETOWN,
Guyana, CMC:
THE WINDWARD Islands not only destroyed the highly favoured Jamaica team by seven wickets, but also added a heavy dose of insult to injury, securing the maximum two bonus points as they romped to victory in 23.5 overs on day one of the West Indies limited overs tournament at Bourda yesterday.
Junior Murray, the former West Indies wicketkeeper, rocked the Jamaican bowling attack, smashing an unbeaten 71 in quick time to take his team to 141 for three in response to a below-par performance from the Jamaicans who imploded to be all out for 139 from 36.5 overs.
Murray, opening the batting, muscled seven audacious boundaries and two towering sixes as he hunted quick runs in his 75-ball top score. The Windward Islands batsmen, with the new bonus points system, deliberately blazed to the winning total under 25 overs to secure four points for the victory and two for winning with a run rate that was twice that of Jamaica's.
Earlier, right-hander Marlon Samuels had struck 55 from 87 balls, including three fours and three sixes to be the mainstay of a Jamaican innings which never got up and running.
ENERGY SAPPING SUN
Gareth Breese won the toss and batted under energy sapping sunshine, but must have been slapping himself silly by the 10th over, with Jamaica reduced to 24 for four and the key wickets of West Indies batsmen Chris Gayle (10) and Wavell Hinds (three) already gone.
Things started to fall apart for Jamaica from the second over of the game when young opener Xavier Marshall went lbw for a duck, offering no shot to a Kenroy Peters delivery that straightened.
Peters was on fire early on and he also removed Gayle with the score on 18, as the left hander's defensive prod clipped on to his pad and then the stumps. One run later, Hinds touched one and Murray made no mistake.
Peters, the 22-year-old seamer who ended with 3-24 from six overs, swung the ball both ways with efficiency and wrestled the early initiative in favour of the Windwards. Their ground fielding and stifling bowling was striking as it was crucial.
With a batting order that had depth, Jamaica were not out of it and Marlon Samuels and Windies wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr after losing Tamar Lambert for one, started to fashion a recovery of sorts.
Baugh, seemingly unaware that his team's situation was a worrying one, played as he usually does, with aggression and flair. The tiny right-hander blasted six fours, mostly jaw dropping cover drives, in 27 balls as he added 40 with Marlon Samuels for the fifth wicket. When he had reached 28 however, he was out lbw in Orlanzo Jackson's first over of leg spin as Jamaica declined further to 64 for five.Samuels had sensibly played with caution throughout but recognising that he was the lone batsman of quality left, took charge, unleashing his arm when rare, poor deliveries were served up and manipulating the strike in his favour. He accumulated another 52 runs in 12 overs along with David Bernard Jr (15).
But from 116 for five the score tumbled to 139 all out as Jamaica lost their last five wickets for just 23 runs, with Windwards captain Rawle Lewis twice getting wickets with consecutive balls.
The worst decision of the Jamaica innings cost Samuels his wicket. Just as the classy right-hander had passed 50 with a stunning straight six off Jackson, and was marshalling his team to what appeared to be a competitive total, he fell after a painfully silly mix up.
In the 32nd over, Evon McInnis drove to Lewis at short extra cover and was dropped but bolted down the track, even after being sent back by Samuels.
CAUGHT
With both batsmen at the non-strikers end and Lewis still fumbling for the ball Samuels decided to make a run for it but was caught well out of his crease.
Daren Powell opened the bowling for Jamaica and reaped immediate success with his first legal delivery, after an initial wide, as West Indies Test opener Devon Smith drove back to the bowler.
A disastrous start was quickly averted as Murray and Craig Emmanuel went after the runs. The pair, batting positively but not rashly, and raced to 50 in eight overs before bringing up the 100-run mark in the 20th.
In yesterday's other game, Trinidad and Tobago completed a three-wicket triumph over highly-fancied Barbados at Enmore.
SCORES: Barbados 209 for eight off 50 overs (Martin Nurse 53, Sherwin Campbell 53, Antonio Mayers 23, Ian Bradshaw 22 not out; Imran Jan 4-46). Trinidad & Tobago 210 for seven off 41.5 overs (Sherwin Ganga 53, Jan 49, Daren Ganga 46; Ryan Hurley 4-40).
