Early morning showers saw 100 minutes lost before lunch with play not possible until 11:40 hrs.

When the two teams agreed to call off play at 17:16 hrs with five of the 15 mandatory overs completed, Guyana were 195 for six after the Jamaicans had threatened to complete an outright victory following a pre-lunch post-lunch slump by the Guyanese top-order.

Middle-order batsman Travis Dowlin, who missed a half-century by two runs in the first innings, top-scored with a fine 50 and, along with the dogged Vishal Nagamootoo and his brother Mahendra who finished on 29 and 28 not out respectively, ensured the Guyanese a creditable draw.

Off-spinner Gareth Breese, who took four wickets in the first innings, ended with three for 73 for match figures of seven for 147 on the placid Bourda surface.

Guyana, who were forced to follow-on 151 runs behind Jamaica’s first innings 387, looked in great danger of conceding full points after losing three quick wickets after the lunch interval.

However, sensible batting by Dowlin and Vishal Nagamootoo who added 46 in 77 minutes took the fight out of the Jamaicans. By tea, the two had done a fine repair job with Dowlin on 45 and his partner on 11.

Dowlin reached 50 shortly after but failed to continue, going caught at midwicket by Nehemiah Perry off the persevering Breese as he attempted to clear the boundary. His knock included five fours in 126 minutes off 105 balls.

Any thoughts the Jamaicans had of claiming the remaining Guyanese wickets were however thwarted by the Nagamootoo brothers who batted out safely to the end, in-between playing some attacking shots in their unfinished stand of 49 in 90 minutes. Vishal batted for 169 minutes and struck two fours while facing 132 balls while Mahendra struck one four in his 90-minute stay at the crease while facing 89 deliveries.

During the 20 minutes available before lunch, the overnight pair of Azeemul Haniff and Krishna Arjune, who resumed on 19 and 20 respectively, added a further four runs without any undue alarm as Guyana progressed to 44 for one.

However, Jamaica made significant inroads in quick succession after the resumption, courtesy of some poor shot selections by the Guyanese batsmen.

Arjune, pushing forward tentatively to off-spinner Gareth Breese, edged to skipper Robert Samuels at slip to depart for 22 and Guyana on 56 for two.

Ten runs later, Lennox Cush (seven) was adjudged lbw sweeping at Breese after smashing the same bowler over midwicket for six four balls earlier.

It was soon 88 for four when Haniff, playing across to a full-length delivery from left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham, was trapped lbw for 35. His innings included four fours in 120 minutes off 173 balls.

First innings top-scorer Andre Percival, again looked in good knick, pulling Breese over mid-wicket on top of the members’ pavilion for a huge six.

In the very next over, Cunningham claimed his second wicket when Percival (eight), plodding forward, was well taken at silly point by Leon Garrick.

Jamaican opening batsman Brenton Parchment was named man-of-the-match for his fine 95 in his team’s first innings.

Jamaica’s coach Robert Haynes said he thought his team had a good game under the circumstances. “It was a placid easy-paced wicket and we batted well, but I was a bit surprised that none of our batters went on to make a hundred. The captain got 85, Parchment 95 and Garrick 74; all three of then should have carried on to three-figure marks.”

According to the former Jamaican and West Indies leg-spinner, apart from that “I think it was a fairly good all-round performance. Gareth Breese bowled very well in both innings and as I said the wicket is really a very flat one. It’s a batting track, and it was always difficult to get an outright win, but I think we played some good cricket.

Haynes also said the weather played a part on the final day which saw play being delayed for 100 minutes. “When you warm up in the morning for 10 o’clock and you don’t start until one hour and forty minutes after, it is always difficult and we try to motivate ourselves, which the guys did fairly well and I give them a lot of credit.

“We have to go to Trinidad and try to work a lot harder for that game and try to get 12 points.”

With the Guyana team almost out of the running for Shield honours, Guyana’s coach Albert Smith is still confident that his charges could reach the semifinals of the Carib Cup competition.

Smith said he was disappointed with the performance of the bowlers in Jamaica’s innings, having already experienced problems with the batsmen in earlier matches.

Taking these factors into consideration, Smith said intense practice sessions for the upcoming match against India A at the same venue will commence this morning and will continue until Thursday.

The Guyana coach is also hoping that all three or two of the Test players in skipper Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan will arrive in time for Friday’s game.

Jamaica, who oppose Trinidad and Tobago in the next round, have 27 points while Guyana move to 30

JAMAICA first innings 387 (B. Parchment 95, R. Samuels 85,, L. Garrick 74: S. Chattergoon four for 29, N. Nagamootoo three for 139)

Guyana first innings 236 (A. Percival 51 not out, A. Percival 48; G. Breese four for 74)

GUYANA second innings

A. Haniff lbw Cunningham 35

S. Chattergoon b Powell 0

K. Arjune c Samuels b Breese 22

L. Cush lbw Breese 7

T. Dowlin c Perry b Breese 50

A. Percival c Garrick b Cunningham 8

V. Nagamootoo not out 29

M. Nagamootoo not out 28

Extras: (b-7, lb-6, nb-3) 16

Total: (for six wickets, 92 overs) 195

Fall of wickets: 1, 56, 66, 100, 146.