NAIN, St Elizabeth, (CMC) - West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle smashed a fiery unbeaten hundred and kept Jamaica in control against the Leeward Islands on the second day of their seventh round 2004 Carib Beer Series match at the Alpart Sports Club yesterday.
After achieving a narrow first innings lead of 10 runs, Jamaica enjoyed a fruitful second innings opening stand late in the day to close at 158 without loss.
The left-handed Gayle (103) and Maurice Kepple (47) were at the crease when bad light halted play two overs early.
In a tense first innings battle, the Leewards were bowled out for 190 in reply to Jamaica’s 200 all out, before the 24-year-old Gayle gave his trademark exhibition of majestic power-hitting.
In reaching his 17th first-class century, Gayle smashed 16 fours and a rocket-like six over extra-cover off Chaka Hodge, reaching his hundred off a mere 91 balls.
He had sped to his 50 off 47 balls in 68 minutes with nine fours, delighting the home crowd with imperious shots all over the park.
The right-handed Kepple was more watchful but spanked five boundaries as he gave sturdy support to Gayle, who is leading the side in place of the injured Gareth Breese.
From an overnight 39 for five, the Leewards had employed an attacking approach in the morning with Sylvester Joseph and Ridley Jacobs quickly gathering a 52-run sixth-wicket partnership.
Jacobs, who was on eight overnight, smashed six boundaries in a 44-ball knock of 32 that ended when he offered a bat/pad catch to Keith Hibbert at silly point.
Hodge joined his solid-looking captain Sylvester Joseph and the two hauled the score towards the Jamaican total, going to the lunch break at 156 for six.
Breese bravely took the field to bowl 35 minutes before lunch -- in spite of the fractured left forearm he suffered on Thursday -- and had success very early in the post-lunch session.
Joseph, a top-10 scorer in the tournament this year, fell leg-before-wicket to Breese 11 runs short of a second hundred this season, as he pushed forward tentatively at the off-spinner.
Joseph’s 89 came off 165 balls, containing 11 fours and one six, and his partnership with Hodge was worth 81 runs.
The Leewards’ innings declined sharply after that although Hodge threatened with a boundary-studded 46.
He struck three fours, plus three sixes, all pull shots over the mid-wicket boundary -- two off Breese and the other against leg-spinner Odean Brown.
Breese removed Gavin Tonge (0) caught bat/pad by Hibbert and as the visitors moved closer to the first innings target, pacer Andrew Richardson trapped Adam Sanford lbw for eight, at 188 for nine.
Hodge was last out, caught by Brown at cover to give West Indies pacer Powell his fourth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Powell, who had arrested the Leewards innings with a four-wicket burst late on Thursday, ended with five for 40 off 10.4 overs.
And Breese, with a plaster-cast from his wrist to his elbow on his left arm, finished with tidy figures of two for 30 off 12 overs, although he was hit for three sixes.
“I just wanted to make a contribution, I decided to try, and it worked,” said Breese, who suffered the injury Thursday when he was hit by a delivery from Sanford.
“I told Chris that if he thought he needed help, he could call on me because there was nothing wrong with my bowling arm,” Breese said.
Gayle, with one for 26 off 17 overs, and Richardson (1-44), were the other wicket-takers for Jamaica.
JAMAICA 1st innings 200 (C.Baugh 87 not out; C.Hodge 4-67)
LEEWARDS 1st innings (o/n 39 for 5)
W.Cornwall c Bernard b Powell 2
C.Rogers b Powell 0
S.Joseph lbw Breese 89
T.Willett c wkp. Baugh b Powell 0
I.Tittle run-out 4
C.Tuckett c Kepple b Powell 0
R.Jacobs c Hibbert b Gayle 32
C.Hodge c Brown b Powell 46
G.Tonge c Hibbert b Breese 0
A.Sanford lbw Richardson 8
D.Weston not out 0
Extras: (b-6, lb-1, nb-2) 9
Total: (all out - 66.4 overs) 190
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-19, 4-28, 5-29, 6-81, 7-162, 8-164, 9-188.
Bowling: Powell 10.4-1-40-5 (nb-1), Richardson 11-2-44-1 (nb-1), Gayle 17-5-26-1, Bernard 3-0-10-0, Brown 13-4-33-0, Breese 12-3-30-2.