CRAB HILL, Barbados, (CMC) - West Indies opener Chris Gayle stroked an unbeaten half-century after his bowlers had damaged the Barbados batting, for Jamaica to take command on the opening day of their Carib Beer International Challenge final at the North Stars Ground yesterday.
Sent in to bat, Cup champions Barbados crashed to 142 all out, and Jamaica were pouncing at 135 for two at the close, with Gayle not out on 57 and Tamar Lambert on 19.
Fast bowlers Andrew Richardson and Darren Powell shared six wickets amidst a woeful batting performance from defending champions Barbados, who are aiming for the Cup and International Challenge double for the second year in a row.
Bowling lively opening spells, Powell and Richardson, quickly propelled their side to a position of control as the Barbadians slumped to 21 for three and went to the lunch break in dire straits at 93 for six.
With only nine runs on the board, Richardson struck by dislodging teenager Martin Nurse caught behind by Carlton Baugh without scoring.
Powell then bowled ex-Test opener Sherwin Campbell (0) at 19 for two, and two runs later Richardson bowled Kurt Wilkinson after the right-hander had made 18.
West Indies left-hander Ryan Hinds had come in after Campbell’s dismissal and was playing resolutely although wickets kept tumbling around him.
Left-hander Floyd Reifer (18) was smartly stumped by Baugh after missing a leg-side shot at a delivery from off-spinner Gayle at 68 for four, triggering a three-wicket burst while Barbados added just 15 runs.
West Indies rookie Dwayne Smith (1) edged Powell to Gayle at slip and two runs later, Gayle had top-scorer Hinds (43) caught off bat/pad by Keith Hibbert at silly point shortly before lunch.
Hinds, whose 47-run fourth-wicket stand with Reifer was the best of the innings, stroked eight fours before falling seven short of a half-century.
Ian Bradshaw (12) was the first of two victims for veteran off-spinner Nehemiah Perry, as the left-hander played forward and edged to Gayle at slip at 106 for seven.
Six runs later, captain Courtney Browne gave a straightforward catch -- off Powell -- to Hibbert at mid-on immediately after Donovan Pagon dropped him at slip.
Perry then sent back Pedro Collins (2), and Tino Best blasted a 24-ball 30 with two fours and a couple of hefty sixes over mid-wicket before Richardson found his bat’s edge for Baugh to take, wrapping up the Barbados innings.
Richardson picked up three for 29 off 7.5 overs and Powell captured three for 36 off 13 overs, while Perry (2-15) and Gayle (2-33) gave good support.
Jamaica then consolidated their position when Gayle and Maurice Kepple posted a 44-run opening stand.
Kepple (16) and Donovan Pagon (20) were the only victims for the Barbados bowlers before the close.
Collymore (1-29) had Kepple caught by Reifer at first slip and left-arm pacer Collins (1-27) trapped Pagon leg-before-wicket at 86 for two.
But Gayle, playing a watchful innings, and Lambert, guided the innings well in the late afternoon and placed Jamaica on the verge of gaining first innings advantage.
Gayle, the new Jamaica captain, in place of injured Gareth Breese, has so far smashed eight fours, and a six -- over mid-wicket -- off Bradshaw in his innings.
Barbados made one change to their team that drew with Guyana in the semifinal, replacing the injured Fidel Edwards with Tino Best.
Jamaica named an unchanged side from their line-up in the semifinals.
BARBADOS 1st innings
K.Wilkinson b Richardson 18
M.Nurse c wkp. Baugh b Richardson 0
S.Campbell b Powell 0
R.Hinds c Hibbert b Gayle 43
F.Reifer stp. Baugh b Gayle 18
D.Smith c Gayle b Powell 1
C.Browne c Hibbert b Powell 11
I.Bradshaw c Gayle b Perry 12
T.Best c wkp. Baugh b Richardson 30
P.Collins b Richardson b Perry 2
C.Collymore not out 2
Extras: (b-1, lb-1, nb-3) 5
Total: (all out) 142
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-19, 3-21, 4-68, 5-83, 6-85, 7-106, 8-112, 9-120.
Bowling: Powell 13-3-36-3 (nb-2), Richardson 7.5-1-29-3, Gayle 13-2-33-2 (nb-1), Bernard 5-0-27-0, Perry 3-0-15-2.
JAMAICA 1st innings
C.Gayle not out 57
M.Kepple c Reifer b Collymore 16
D.Pagon lbw Collins 20
T.Lambert not out 19
Extras: (b-8, lb-5, nb-10) 23
Total: (for 2 wickets) 135
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-86.
Bowling: Collins 7-3-27-1 (nb-2), Best 6-2-30-0, Collymore 13-2-29-1 (nb-5), Bradshaw 9-3-24-0, Smith 5-0-7-0 (nb-3), Wilkinson 2-2-0-0, Hinds 4-2-5-0.