GEORGETOWN ( CMC):

Guyana used their spinners to torment Jamaica and then Gajanand Singh stroked an unbeaten half century to consolidate their position on the opening day of their 4th Round TCL Group West Indies Under-19 cricket match yesterday.

Responding to Jamaica's flimsy first innings score of 89 at the Enmore Ground, Guyana were already 83 ahead - with six wickets standing - at stumps, reaching 172 for four, with Singh not out on 64 and Krishna Deosaran with him on 13.

Left-arm spinner Verasammy Permaul (3-25) and skipper Steven Jacobs (3-26) conspired to dismiss the Jamaicans for the lowest total in this year's competition.

Singh, who scored 60 against the Leeward Islands and 100 against the Windward Islands, took his series aggregate to 233 as tournament leaders Guyana closed in a strong position.

Singh reached the boundary three times from 128 balls and 158 minutes of solid batting.

Asked to bat on a flat track, Jamaica's ordinary run in the competition continued as the visitors, undermined by a combination of steady bowling and loose shot selection, wobbled to 64 for seven by lunch.

Caught behind

Marlon Johnson, Jamaica's leading batsman with 194 runs, was caught behind by Maxwell Georgeson for one.

Three runs later Zeniffe Fowler, who missed the last two games due to a hand injury, edged Hercules to third slip after making two to leave the score on eight for two. Jamie Trenchfield, who gave up the captaincy to concentrate on his batting, elegantly drove medium pacer David Wallace for consecutive boundaries across the fairly fast outfield.

However, Wallace induced the left-hander who led Jamaica to their last title two years ago, to edge a catch to slip in the same over after the ball rebounded from the keeper's pads. Trenchfield made nine and Jamaica were on the ropes on 23 for three. Andre Creary (8) was bowled by Permaul at 39 for four before Shemroy Barrington at short-leg held his seventh catch of the series to remove Shacoya Thomas (2) off Permaul four runs later.

Rasheed Outar (10) and Cordel Simpson (0) were removed in quick succession by off-spinner Jacobs as the home team dominated the first session.

After the interval, Andre Russell (12) and Andre Lindsay (12) were dismissed by Permaul and Jacobs respectively as Jamaica slumped to 66 for nine. However, the last pair of Jason Dawes (19) and Christopher Watson (2 not out) added 23 in 30 minutes to take Jamaica nearer the 100-mark.

Leg-spinner Danney Narayan had Dawnes, whose top score included a straight six off Jacobs, stumped with his third ball to end the innings 37 minutes after lunch.

Permaul, the leading wicket taker in the competition, took his wicket tally to 22 while Jacobs carried his tally to 13.

Hercules, who bowled six overs, took two for five for Guyana who reached 60 for two by tea.

AT BOURDA: Trinidad and Tobago, replying to the Windward Islands' first innings score of 224, reached 33 for one at the close.

SCORES: Windwards 224 (T-Ran Harper 82, Donwell Hector 31, Lauron Francois 22, Keron Cottoy 22; Gareth Boodhai 3-48, Jeewan Ramroop 2-32, Sunil Narine 2-42, Vishan Ramroop 2-46). T&T 33-1 (Darren Bravo 13 not out, Adrian Barath 12 not out; Gary Prince 1-12).

AT WALES: A soggy outfield, caused by rain, forced an abandonment of the opening day of the 4th Round TCL Group West Indies Under-19 cricket match between Barbados and the Leeward Islands.