BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (CMC):The Leeward Islands used an unbeaten half century from Moreland LeBlanc to secure first innings points over Jamaica in their second-round TCL Group West Indies Under-19 Challenge match yesterday at Warner Park.
Resuming from their overnight position of 30 without loss, the Leeward Islands were all out for 249 half an hour after tea, in reply to Jamaica's 209.
LeBlanc top-scored with a defiant 72 not out, his second half century in as many innings. He batted for a marathon 258 minutes and struck nine boundaries.
Kieron Powell (37), Chesney Hughes (35) and Kejel Tyson (24) were the other major contributors.
The most successful bowler for Jamaica was left-arm spinner Christopher Watson with three wickets for 45 runs from 16 overs.
Medium pacer Derval Green (2-24) and off-spinner Jamie Merchant (2-52) supported and shared four wickets. Batting a second time, Jamaica were 54 without loss, a lead of 14 runs, when stumps were drawn. Horace Miller had powered his way to 34 and his partner Jones was unbeaten on 19.
Solid start
In the first session of the day's play, the Leewards' opening pair of Powell and Hughes continued their solid start until spinner Watson made the initial breakthrough with the total on 73.
Powell, who had been given chances on two and 20, was the first to go. Sweeping at a well- tossed-up arm ball, the left-handed Nevisian batsman succeeded only in top edging to midwicket for a simple catch. Bonner struck five deliveries later when he deceived Thomas (0) with a googly and wicketkeeper André Lindsay claimed a smart catch diving away to his left.
Jamaica then picked up two timely wickets before lunch, to see the Leeward Islands trailing by 66 runs with six wickets in hand at the interval.
LeBlanc, however, continued to bat well with the lower order, receiving good support from Kelbert Walters (15) and Trevier Smithen (14) to see the Leeward Islands ahead of Jamaica's first innings score by 15 runs at tea time. When play restarted after the break, the Jamaica captain Green quickly picked up the remaining two wickets.
First innings honours
At St. Mary's Park: Vishal Singh became the third Guyanese toscore a century at this level in St. Kitts and led his side to first-innings honours over the Windward Islands on the second day of their second- round contest yesterday.
Singh stroked 124 and added 102 for the fourth wicket in 106 minutes with skipper Steven Jacobs (67) as defending champions Guyana galloped to 335 for nine at stumps in response to the Windwards' first innings total of 236.
Guyana resumed in sultry conditions on six for one and carved out a 99-run advantage by the end of the day. Singh stroked 16 boundaries from 192 balls in 246 minutes in his knock to join 1993 centurions Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Rohan Sarjoo with regional Under-19 hundreds for Guyana in St. Kitts.
Jacobs counted six fours from 147 balls in his 187-minute innings after opener Robin Bacchus had made 42.
Clive Andries then clobbered a belligerent 48 with six fours and two sixes at number seven and added 82 with Singh for the sixth wicket.
St. Lucian Dalton Polius finished with four for 74 in an impressive spell of controlled off spin for the Islanders.
FOUGHT HARD
At Conaree: Leaders Barbados fought hard to stay competitive on the second day of their second round match against Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.
Led by an enterprising third-wicket partnership of 132 in 84 minutes by right-handers Ashley Nurse and Simon Steele, Barbados closed on 209 for four, still 15 runs behind with six wickets remaining.
Captain Shamarh Brooks is unbeaten on 26, while Shamar Cooke is not out on five as the Barbadians try to rally from a mountainous first innings deficit.
Off-spinner Varoon Samaroo is the top wicket-taker for T&T so far with three for 58.
Both Steele and Ashley Nurse hit half-centuries to revive their team's innings, after Barbados were precariously placed on 45 for two.
