KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) - Hosts Jamaica completely annihilated the Leewards XI by 104 runs yesterday, in Zone A of the Red Stripe Bowl at the Kensington Park in Kingston.
Chasing Jamaica's commanding 281, the Leewards could only muster 177 for 9 wickets off 47 overs and two balls, with Carl Tuckett retired hurt and being unable to continue.
Jamaica were sent to bat by the Leewards and were taken to their near 300 total by powerful half-centuries from West Indies middle order batsmen Marlon Samuels and Ricardo Powell.
The pair put on 96 for the fourth wicket, taking the score up to 195 before Powell threw his wicket away for 51 from 52 balls with one four and four sixes, one of which was a massive straight blow off Omari Banks that went out of the ground and into the nearby community to the south.
Samuels did even better than Powell, striking four fours and five awesome sixes from 96 balls in his 72.
Both were lucky to have gotten off the mark though, with Powell being dropped by Alex Adams at forward short leg off the second ball he faced, while Samuels survived a very confident lbw appeal from the first ball he faced from Runako Morton.
By the time the pair had gotten together, Chris Gayle (22), playing an unusually sedate, boundary-less innings, Brenton Parchment (23) and Wavell Hinds (38) had done enough to get the score up to 99. Hinds hit two fours and four sixes.
The Jamaican batsmen clearly favoured the aerial route on the Kensington ground, which had a very thick outfield, causing the ball to hold up before it got to the boundary.
Towards the end, Carlton Baugh played a destructive quick-fire knock, to send the score beyond the reach of the Leewards, when he made an unbeaten 41 from only 28 balls.
Baugh hit two fours and a similar number of sixes, both in the last over bowled by Morton, who was the only Leewards bowler to get two wickets.
He finished with two for 55 from seven overs, but Banks was the true pick of the bowlers, taking one for 33 from 10 probing overs.
When Leewards replied, pacer Darren Powell set them back early by having Shane Jeffers stunningly caught by Marlon Samuels at short extra cover for 12, with the score on 29.
Dave Bernard replaced the wayward, short-pitching Jerome Taylor and dismissed Morton for one. He later returned to capture the prized wicket of Stuart Williams for a top score of 37 (4x4).
Baugh took a neat catch behind the stumps to send Williams on his way, atoning for his previous mistake of dropping Adams off Powell. Adams was the only other significant scorer for the Leewards with 36, including seven fours.
Leewards kept digging holes for themselves by losing wickets constantly, as the Jamaican bowlers plugged away, holding a good line and length for the most part.
Wavell Hinds (2-7), Bernard (2-17), Breese (2-34) and Darren Powell (2-35) shared the spoils for Jamaica, while Taylor got one wicket for 39 runs from his nine overs.
Today Trinidad and Tobago take on Canada at the Alpart ground in the first of a weekend double header.
JAMAICA innings
C.Gayle lbw Banks 22
B.Parchment c Banks b Willett 23
W.Hinds c Hodge b Morton 38
M.Samuels c Banks b Hodge 72
R.Powell run-out 51
G.Breese c wkp. Williams b Jeffers 3
+C.Baugh not out 41
*R.Samuels c Willett b Morton 11
D.Bernard not out 0
Extras: (lb-3, w-9, nb-8) 20
Total: (7 wkts - 50 overs) 281
Bowling: E Powell 10-1-42-1, Willett 5-1-32-1, Hodge 10-1-48-1, Morton 7-0-55-2, Brown 5-0-44-0, Banks 10-1-33-1, Jeffers 3-0-24-0.
LEEWARDS XI innings
A.Adams c R.Powell b Breese 36
S.Jeffers c M.Samuels b D.Powell 12
R.Morton c R.Powell b Bernard 1
*S.Williams c wkp. Baugh b Bernard 37
C.Tuckett retired hurt 15
T.Willett c Bernard b D.Powell 17
O.Banks c R.Samuels b Taylor 1
E.Powell c R.Powell b Breese 11
+J.Williams not out 21
C.Hodge b Hinds 4
V.Brown c D.Powell b Hinds 5
Extras: (lb-10, w-5, nb-2) 17
Total: (9 wkts - 47.2 overs) 177
Bowling: D.Powell 10-0-35-2, Taylor 9-2-39-1, Bernard 7-0-19-2, Gayle 5-0-25-0, Breese 10-1-34-2, Hinds 3.2-0-7-2, M Samuels 3-1-8-0.