Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
Jamaica's batsman Jerome Taylor (right) gestures to the pavilion for a decision after being offered light by umpire Vincent Bullen of Barbados, while his batting partner Odean Brown (second right) and umpire Cecil Fletcher, a Jamaican, react, during the closing session of their Carib Beer Series cricket match against the Leeward Islands at Kensington Oval yesterday. The match ended in a draw. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE CARIB Beer Cup match between Jamaica and the Leeward Islands ended in a disappointing but exciting draw at Kensington Park yesterday when the home team, four runs away from victory with one wicket in hand and 7.3 overs still to be bowled, accepted the umpires' offer of bad light at 5.13p.m. - 13 minutes after the scheduled close of play.
Set a victory target of 216 off 63 overs plus the mandatory 15 in the last hour, the defending champions were within one stroke of victory.
Odean Brown was on 14 not out and Jerome Taylor on 12 when umpires Cecil Fletcher of Jamaica and Steve Bullen of Barbados pulled out the light metre, checked the light, offered the light, and after deciding to go, after changing their minds, and after looking towards the Jamaica enclosure, the batsmen walked off the field with the scoreboard reading the Leeward Islands 196 and 242; Jamaica 223 and 212 for nine, and the home team settling for first innings.
On a day of fluctuating fortunes, Taylor joined Brown at 187 for nine and in a fighting partnership, posted 25 runs for the last wicket before they accepted the light.
EARLY TROUBLE
After losing Brenton Parchment - leg before wicket to Tonge for one at 11 for one, Jamaica were in early trouble. In his first over, Banks removed Danza Hyatt for four at 20 for two.
With Xavier Marshall and Lambert batting confidently, however, Jamaica rallied with a third-wicket partnership of 66 before Sanford removed both batsmen in successive overs.
Lambert went for 28 at 86 for three and it was 93 for four when Carl Simon bowled Marshall for 46 with a well-pitched delivery.
Two overs later, it was 101 for five when Gareth Breese, on one, drove confidently at Simon and Tonito Willett came up with a low catch at point.
Jamaica, thanks to Carlton Baugh Jnr., played themselves back into the game - so much so that for 47 minutes they appeared well on the way to victory. But Sanford cut him down in his first over of a new spell.
Earlier in the day, after play had started one hour late due to a wet bowler's run-up, the Leeward Islands, resuming on 214 for eight after, lost their two remaining wickets for the addition of 28 runs with Richardson bowling Simon for 37 and running out Sanford for zero.
SCOREBOARD
LEEWARDS 1st Innings 196
(R Morton 62; A Richardson 5-32)
JAMAICA 1st Innings 223
(T Lambert 51; O Banks 5-76)
LEEWARDS 2nd Innings
(overnight 215 for 8)
C Simon b Richardson 24
+A Lesmond not out 13
A Sanford run out 0
Extras (b8, lb6, w1, nb4) 19
TOTAL (all out 96.1 overs) 242
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-67, 3-129, 4-133, 5-133, 6-180, 7-196, 8-200, 9-241, 10-242.
Bowling: Taylor 13-5-28-0 (nb3), Richardson 16.1-2-46-1, Breese 29-5-76-3, Bernard 5-1-22-0 (nb2), Brown 12-1-22-0, Miller 21-6-34-3.
UMPIRES: Cecil Fletcher, Vincent Bullen.
JAMAICA 2nd innings
B Parchment lbw b Tonge 1
X Marshall b Sanford 46
D Hyatt c & b Banks 4
T Lambert c Cornwall b Sanford 28
D Bernard c wk Lesmond b Simon 32
G Breese c Willett b Simon 1
C Baugh c Morton b Sanford 36
N Miller c wk Lesmond b Simon 19
O Brown not out 14
A Richardson lbw b Tonge 0
J Taylor not out 11
Extras (b11, lb8, nb1) 20
TOTAL (9 wkts - 71.3 overs) 212
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-20, 3-86, 4-93, 5-101, 6-147, 7-180, 8-182, 9-187.
Bowling: Sanford 18.3-4-42-3, Tonge 12-2-34-2, Banks 18-1-55-1, Simon 16-6-50-3, Cornwall 7-3-12-0.
RESULT: Match drawn.
UMPIRES: Cecil Fletcher, Vincent Bullen.
