BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Dave Bernard Jr and Pedro Collins waged a fierce battle with the ball on either side, as Jamaica were within sight of first-innings points over Barbados and a tighter grip on the Carib Beer Cup yesterday.

Medium-fast bowler Bernard captured five wickets for 44 runs from 14 overs to lead the Jamaica demolition of Barbados for a modest first-innings total of 167. But left-arm fast-medium bowler Collins brought Barbados back into the match, when he snared three late wickets and finished with four for 35 from 10 overs to leave Jamaica 149 for seven when stumps were drawn on the opening day of the fifth-round match at Kensington Oval.

First-innings lead

Jamaica appeared to be sailing to the first-innings lead on 123 for three with Danza Hyatt and left-hander Brendon Nash facing no perils in a fourth-wicket stand of 61 and Barbados hamstrung by loss of Kemar Roach, one of their frontline fast bowlers, who was struck in his face when trying to gather a return from a fielder. But Ryan Hinds, bowling his uncomplicated left-arm spin, made the breakthrough when he had Hyatt caught behind for the top score of 47 top-edging a sweep.

This triggered a collapse - precipitated by Collins - which saw Jamaica lose four wickets for 26 runs in the final 45 minutes before the close. Collins had Nash caught behind for 23, edging a loose drive and Bernard lbw for four playing across a well-pitched delivery in the space of four balls in the bowler's eighth over. Jamaica was set back further when Carlton Baugh was caught at third slip for a duck - squared-up and edging a delivery pushed across his body.

Collins had put the monkey on the Jamaicans from the very first ball of the innings, when he bowled opener Brenton Parchment for a duck and Fidel Edwards, Collins' brother, wobbled the Jamaicans when he had Jamaica and West Indies captain Chris Gayle caught at cover for 13.

Earlier, Barbados subsided to 65 for five at lunch, after they were sent in to bat under sunny skies on a hard, true pitch. After lunch, Jamaica sought to plunge the dagger further into the Barbados batting and the home team tried to post a respectable total.

Barbados seemed to be steadily achieving their objective, when two wickets ñ both to Bernard - left them wobbling. Bernard struck when he had Kevin Stoute caught behind for nine edging a loose drive at a delivery pitched outside the off-stump and also had left-hander Sulieman Benn caught behind for a duck edging a ball angled across him to leave Barbados 98 for seven.

Fidel Edwards came to the wicket and hit a career-best 40 in just under an hour to rally the Barbadians past the 150-run mark in partnership with fellow fast bowler Kemar Roach and Collins before he was the last man dismissed - caught at mid-wicket off Chris Gayle.

Jamaica lead the standings in the Carib Beer Series with 42 points - 12 more than second-placed Barbados.

AT ROSEAU, Dominica: Windward Islands, batting first after winning the toss, were 271 for eight at the close on a rain-affected opening day of their fifth round match against Trinidad & Tobago at the Windsor Park Stadium yesterday.

Scores: WINDWARDS 271-8 (Lyndon James 60 not out, Devon Smith 52, Donwell Hector 43, Deighton Butler 25 not out; Amit Jaggernauth 3-66, Ravi Rampaul 2-40) vs T&T.

AT GEORGETOWN: Guyana, batting first after winning the toss, reached 338 for four at the close on the opening day of their fifth round match against Combined Campuses and Colleges at the National Stadium at Providence yesterday.

Scores: GUYANA 338-4 (Shivnarine Chanderpaul 161 not out, Leon Johnson 94, Sewnarine Chattergoon 38, Travis Dowlin 31 not out; Jamal Noel 2-70) vs COMBINED CAMPUSES & COLLEGES.

BARBADOS 1st Innings

D. Richards c wkpr Baugh b Bernard 38 J. Haynes c wkpr Baugh b Taylor 0 +P. Browne c Marshall b Powell 15 R. Hinds b Powell 8 *D. Smith b Bernard 0 K. Stoute c wkpr Baugh b Bernard 9 A. Holder c Marshall b Bernard 27 S. Benn c wkpr Baugh b Bernard 0 K. Roach c wkpr Baugh b Taylor 11 F. Edwards c Parchment b *Gayle 40 P. Collins not out 5 Extras: (b2, lb8, nb4) 14

TOTAL: (all out) 167

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-38, 3-61, 4-61, 5-65.

Bowling: Taylor 13-3-42-2, Powell 16-5- 59-2, Bernard 14-1-44-5, Miller 6-3-8-0, *Gayle 2-1-4-1.

JAMAICA 1st Innings

B. Parchment b Collins 0 *C. Gayle c *Smith b Edwards 13 X. Marshall c (sub) Carter b Benn 27 D. Hyatt c wkpr Browne b Hinds 47 B. Nash c wkpr Browne b Collins 23 T. Lambert not out 13 D. Bernard lbw b Collins 4 +C. Baugh c Hinds b Collins 0 N. Miller not out 5 Extras: (b4, lb3, nb10) 17 TOTAL: (7 wkts) 149

D. Powell, J. Taylor to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-31, 3-62, 4-123, 5-128, 6-132, 7-136.

Bowling: Collins 10-1-35-4, Edwards 6-0-32-1, *Smith 7-0-36-0, Benn 12-5-32-1, Hinds 4-0-7-1.

Position: Jamaica trail by 18 runs with three first-innings wickets standing.

Toss: Jamaica.

Umpires: D. Holder, T. Birbal.