WILDEY, Barbados, CMC:JAMAICA KEPT their slim hopes of reaching the Final Four of the KFC Cup alive, with an impressive six-wicket victory over defending champions Trinidad & Tobago at the Cable & Wireless Ground yesterday.
In a match reduced to 20 overs after heavy early morning rain left the outfield unfit for play, Jamaica successfully chased down their target of 102, completing victory with 6.1 overs remaining.
They were led by opening batsman Danza Hyatt, who scored an unbeaten 47 including five fours and one six off 43 deliveries, and fellow opener Brenton Parchment, whose quick-fire 29 came from just 15 balls with five fours.
The duo, Parchment in particular, set the ground ablaze as they added 34 for the first wicket in four overs to orchestrate Jamaica's push for victory.
The 23-year-old Parchment was especially severe on West Indies fast bowler Mervyn Dillon, bowled just one over, conceding 14 runs, while opener Richard Kelly went for 15 runs from his two opening overs.
HANDSOME STROKES
Both players played a number of handsome strokes and after their cameo opening partnership, the result was never in doubt.
When Parchment was dismissed, bowled by leg spinner Samuel Badree for 29, Samuels joined Hyatt to add 28 for the second wicket, keeping Jamaica's momentum alive.
Samuels was forced to play second fiddle to the rampant Hyatt but eventually fell to Badree for four.
Badree, recalled after missing the last round of matches, also accounted for super sub Xavier Marshall who was caught by Dillon on the long off boundary for five with the score at 72 for three.
Carlton Baugh Jnr., in his usual aggressive manner, scored a cameo 14 before he was bowled by the off spinner Sanjiv Gooljar but by then, Jamaica were cruising towards victory.
Badree, with three for 19 off fours overs, was the most successful bowler.
Earlier, Trinidad never recovered from the loss of two early wickets with only eight on the board, and crashed to 101 all out off 19.5 overs.
Sherwin Ganga was trapped lbw to Daren Powell for four, while Lendl Simmons was caught at the wicket off Dwight Washington for two, after play got under way at 2:15 p.m.
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo top scored with 21, including three fours, while captain Daren Ganga got 19.
Medium pacer David Bernard Jr finished with three for 17 off his four overs while all-rounder Gareth Breese took two for 10 and Washington, two for 24 from four overs.
Jamaica, who gained a bonus point from the win, now have five points from four games and could still enter the equation depending on the outcome of the final round of matches.
Trinidad & Tobago, without a victory, however, have been eliminated from the competition.
