Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

The visiting Lashings team, behind a brilliant unbeaten knock of 81 by Man of the Match Chris Adams and a classy unbeaten 41 by Rashid Latif, registered an exciting six-wicket win over the Jamaica Invitational team in an exhibition game at the Trelawny multi-purpose stadium yesterday.

Invited to bat by the Lashings skipper, former West Indies captain Richie Richardson, who won the toss, Jamaica were dismissed for 194 off 39.3 overs as only skipper Tamar Lambert, who top-scored with 79 and Donovan Pagon, who got 28, capitalised on the starts they got.

In reply, Lashings started out slowly but stepped up the pace as the game progressed and sealed victory when Adams struck the second ball of the last over from David Bernard Jr. for six, giving them victory at 198 for four with four balls to spare.

An exciting game

"It was an exciting game and I am sure the fans enjoyed it although Jamaica lost," said victorious skipper Richardson. "I thought both teams played reasonably well today."

The Jamaica team started their innings disastrously, losing openers Danza Hyatt - leg before wicket for two - and 16-year-old guest player from Nevis, Kieran Powell, caught wicketkeeper Rashid Latif without scoring off the bowling of former West Indies captain and pacer Courtney Walsh.

However, respectability was quickly restored to the Jamaican batting with Lambert and Donovan Pagon putting on 61 runs for the third wicket before Pagon fell for 28, caught by wicketkeeper Latif off the bowling of Chris Silverwood, with the score on 68.

Bernard joined Lambert but he did not last long as he was dismissed, trapped leg before wicket (LBW) by Silverwood for four (4) with the score on 74. Lorenzo Ingram, who replaced Bernard, added 56 with Lambert before he fell to a catch off Mark Ealham with the score on 130.

Wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh jnr. never got into his stride and after making just eight, he too was dismissed - caught by Grant Flower off spinner Ealham with the score on 150. Gareth Breese joined Lambert but after adding 15, Lambert was finally dismissed, caught by Silverwood off Flower for 79 with the score at 165. He had five fours in his knock.

Despite an attacking 23 from Breese, the Jamaica innings quickly folded as Nikita Miller (4) and Odean Brown (8) both fell cheaply, leaving Dwight Washing-ton not out on zero and Jamaica all out for 194 off 39.3 overs.

Walsh was the pick of the bowling with two wickets for eight runs off four overs. He was well-supported by Silverwood, who had two for 41 runs of six overs and Ealham, who had two for 22 off six overs. Min Patel and Flower got a wicket each.

Early wickets

In their turn at batting, the Lashings team also lost an early wicket when Grant Flower was dismissed for one, caught by Hyatt off the bowling of Washington with the score on seven.

However, they bounced back to reach 45 before spinner Miller had Anthony McGrath caught behind for 17 by wicketkeeper Baugh. Nick Knight followed six runs later, lbw to Bernard for 19.

Former West Indies wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs and Chris Adams added 72 for the fourth wicket before Jacobs, who struck one six and three fours in getting 24, fell to a catch by Washington off Lambert, leaving his team needing 81 runs to win off 66 balls.

With Adams, who struck three sixes, batting beautifully with Latif, who was dropped by Powell (Kieran) when he was three (3), the Lashings team gradually began to close in on the Jamaica total. With the equation at 17 runs from 14 balls, victory seemed assured for the visitors.

With 15 runs needed off 11 balls, Adams hooked pacer Lawson for six to pull Lashings in sight of victory. At 192, he struck his fourth six, off Bernard, to seal victory for his team.