PARCHMENT
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC:
BARBADOS LOST by six wickets to Jamaica at the 3Ws Oval yesterday but still finished second in the preliminaries of the KFC Cup.
Opener Brenton Parchment hit a fine 75 off 104 balls with seven fours and three sixes and Xavier Marshall made 55 not out from 75 deliveries with four fours and two sixes as Jamaica reached the target of 209 with 5.5 overs to spare. But it was only a consolation win for the Jamaicans, who finished second to last in the six-team championship and for the second straight season failed to reach the final four.
Their hopes of squeezing into the semi-finals were dented after the Windward Islands had earlier disposed of fourth place Leeward Islands at Wildey to earn third position.
Parchment, who was missed on eight, added 48 in nine overs for the second wicket with Marlon Samuels (22) and 68 for the third wicket in 12 overs with Marshall.
In Barbados' 208 for eight off 50 overs after they were put in, veteran Floyd Reifer hit his first half century of the championship, finishing with an unbeaten 52 off 90 balls with two fours and a six.
Off-spinner Gareth Breese bowled intelligently as he broke the back of the middle order to finish with four for 24 off 10 overs. He was named Man-of-the-Match.
On putting Barbados in, it meant the home side had batted first in all five matches.
Pacer Daren Powell soon removed Dale Richards and Dwayne Smith in the space of two deliveries in the third over to leave the score 11 for two. The former was caught at slip for 10 while Smith was caught and bowled without scoring.
Martin Nurse and Kurt Wilkinson consolidated with a third wicket partnership of 55 in 11 overs, which turned out to be the highest of the innings.
Left-hander Nurse scored 28 off 34 balls before spooning a slog off Breese for wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh to take a few metres moving forward.
DISAPPOINTING FIELDING AND CATCHING
Wilkinson fell in the 19th over, bowled by Breese, also for 28, which took 63 deliveries.
Breese continued to enjoy his bowling from the southern end and not only kept the batsmen in check, but also picked up his other two wickets in the space of three balls in the 28th over. Ryan Hinds was caught at the wicket off the first for 14 and Alcindo Holder (nought) went by the same route.
Barbados did not help their cause with some disappointing fielding and catching.
Parchment was dropped by wicketkeeper Browne off Corey Collymore in the seventh over with the score 28 but never looked back.
Danza Hyatt fell in the 10th over of the innings, caught low at gully off Collymore for seven.
Parchment and Samuels played freely before Smith bowled Samuels.
Parchment's innings ended in a catch to extra-cover off left-arm spinner Hinds.
Captain Wavell Hinds (17) was the other batsman dismissed off Sulieman Benn.
