KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) - Jamaica completed their first victory of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series when they defeated Guyana by six wickets on the third day in their second round match at Sabina Park yesterday.
Set 102 to win, Jamaica reached their target for the loss of four wickets off the last ball of the 26th over of their second innings when captain Gareth Breese ended the match in style, hitting leg-spin bowler Mahendra Nagamootoo over mid-on for six, after Guyana, trailing by 48 runs on first innings, had been dismissed for 150 in their second innings.
The Jamaicans went about their run chase in attacking fashion, but lost Keith Hibbert caught behind off Rayon Thomas for nine and fellow opening batsman Brenton Parchment, bowled by Rayon Griffith also for nine.
Left-arm spin bowler Neil McGarrell, the Guyana captain, took two wickets to add to the excitement. He removed Tamar Lambert and Mario Ventura to close to the wicket catches to leave Jamaica 74 for four.
Dave Bernard, Jr. and Breese made sure that Jamaica, who conceded first innings points to Windward Islands in a drawn match the previous weekend at Beausejour, salvaged some pride.
Bernard was more patient in his knock, but Breese did not want to return today, and with this in mind, he tore into the Guyana attack and raced his side to their target.
Earlier, Guyana’s batsmen struggled to come to grips with Jamaica’s bowlers after they continued from their bedtime position to crash to 81 for five. McGarrell’s unbeaten 66 that contained seven fours from 107 balls in just under 2-1/2 hours was the top score for his side and there was little substance elsewhere.
After Guyana continued from their bedtime position of 14 for one, Andrew Richardson made the breakthrough for Jamaica when Krishna Arjune was trapped lbw for 16.
Things got worse for the visitors when Lennox Cush was caught, to become the last of Bernard’s two wickets -- left-hander Azeemul Haniff was caught close to the wicket off Breese, and minutes before lunch, Narsingh Deonarine was caught at wide long-on off Evon McInnis.
Upon the resumption, Jamaica took the match away from Guyana, but despite taking the last four wickets for 38 runs, Ryan Thomas and skipper McGarrell held things up a bit.
McGarrell and Thomas added 31 for the last wicket which not only helped Guyana to bowl at something reasonable, but allowed the Guyana captain to bring up his eighth regional half-century.
Jamaica now move to 18 points from two matches and prepare to face provisional leaders Barbados in the third round, starting at Sabina Park on Friday, while Guyana remain pointless and meet Windward Islands at the Botanical Gardens in Roseau, Dominica.
GUYANA 1st innings 222 (N. Deonarine 69, R. Cunningham 3-39)
JAMAICA 1st innings 270 (T. Lambert 55; N. McGarrell 4-45)
GUYANA 2nd innings (o/n 14 for one)
K. Arjune lbw b Richardson 16
S. Chattergoon c Parchment b Bernard 4
A. Haniff c Ventura b Breese 23
L. Cush c (sub.) Ingram b Bernard 5
N. Deonarine c Lambert b McInnis 10
T. Dowlin c wkpr Hibbert b Breese 13
N. McGarrell not out 66
M. Nagamootoo c Richardson b Breese 4
+V. Nagamootoo c Bernard b Cunninhgam 0
R. Griffith c Breese b Cunningham 2
R. Thomas lbw b McInnis 3
Extras: (lb-2, nb-2) 4
Total: (all out) 150
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-25, 3-34, 4-57, 5-65, 6-94, 7-112, 8-114, 9-119.