A six over long-on from skipper Gareth Breese off leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo gave Jamaica an emphatic six-wicket victory over Guyana with over a day to spare when their second round Carib Beer four-day regional first-class encounter ended yesterday at Sabina Park.
Breese finished unbeaten on 27 with four fours and a six while Man-of-the-match David Bernard was not-out on 25 as Jamaica, set 103 to win, reached 107-4 just before the scheduled 5:pm close.
Scores - Guyana 222 & 150, Jamaica 270 & 107-4.
Guyana began the penultimate day on 14-1 needing another 34 runs to make Jamaica bat a second time and by lunch were in big trouble on 81-5, with a lead of just 33 runs with half of their team already dismissed.
Arjune (16) got a good ball from Andrew Richardson and was trapped LBW at 25-2 while Lennox Cush seemed very unfortunate to be given out caught at point for five by umpire Dalton Holder although the ball seemed to come off his pad.
Narsingh Deonarine joined Azeemul Haniff at 34-3 and carried the score to 57 before Haniff who hit three fours in his 22 had a big swing in Breese's first over and only succeeded in top edging the ball to backward point.
Deonarine hit two nice fours but when on 10 drove fast bowler Evon McInnis straight to cover as Guyana slipped to 65-5.
Travis Dowlin (10) and McGarrell (9) then saw Guyana to lunch on a track still good for batting but offering some turn and bounce for the spinners.
It was soon 94-6 after tea when Dowlin, who was greeted with a nasty lifter from McInnis which nearly took his head off, edged an arm ball from Breese to 'keeper Keith Hibert after making 13.
Mahendra Nagamootoo (4) then played an irresponsible sweep shot at Breese against the spin and skied a catch to Richardson at deep square leg as Guyana slipped into further trouble at 112-7
Vishal Nagamootoo was then removed for a duck as he made no attempt to try and stay with his skipper who was batting well, and played a terrible swipe off left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham and was taken at mid off with Guyana on the ropes on 114-8.
Reon Griffith was soon sent back by Breese for two at 119-9 before Thomas and McGarrell, who promoted himself in the order, frustrated the Jamaicans with an intelligent 31 run last-wicket stand before Thomas was LBW to McInnis for three on the stroke of tea.
McGarrell's 66, his eighth regional first-class half-century, was decorated with seven fours and lasted 143 minutes and 107 balls.
The Guyana captain who was not out for the third time in the series, got excellent support from last man Thomas, who batted for 42 minutes and faced 25 balls and give the more accomplished batsmen who came before him a valuable lesson in commitment to their country's cause.
Breese finished with 3-31 while McInnis (2-22), Bernard (2-42), and Cunningham (2-19) all supported well with help from many of the Guyana batsmen who gifted their wickets yesterday in another embarrassing batting display.
When Jamaica began their reply they quickly lost Hibbert (9) who touched a catch to the 'keeper off the lively Thomas at 15-1 and Parchment (9) whose off stump was sent cart wheeling by a beauty from Griffith at 23-2.
Tamar Lambert who made 55 in the first innings and Bernard who scored 51 in the first innings took Jamaica to 58 before the aggressive Lambert pushed forward to McGarrell and was taken by Dowlin at silly mid off for 19.
Mario Ventura and Bernard then saw their team to 74 before Ventura was caught at short leg off McGarrell for six as the Guyanese skipper, led from the front after his fighting unbeaten half-century earlier in the day.
Breese in his second game as Jamaica senior captain, joined Bernard in bright sunshine as the lads from Reggae country closed in on a win and the pair saw their team to victory in a hurry.
Breese swept McGarell for consecutive boundaries and then finished the game with a massive six in the next over much to the delight of the small but vocal crowd. McGarell finished with 2-29 and 6-74 in the match.
Jamaica who play Barbados from Friday in their third round game, move to 15 points from two matches while Guyana, who take on the Windward Islands in Dominica in their next match, are still to register a points after two games.
Coach Albert Smith said it the batting display by his team was 'extremely poor' and added that he sometimes got the impression from the way some batsmen get out that there is not enough pride in their own performance.
"McGarrell stood out, he showed fight and commitment...Thomas stayed with him at end. But sometimes you have got to wonder how serious some of the players are in making this their career. Of course we might have had a few hard decisions and the Jamaicans played well but we have no one but ourselves to blame for this loss" Smith said.
The Guyana management has arranged a practice session for today at Sabina. The team leaves Jamaica tomorrow, spends the night in Antigua and then travel to Dominica on Wednesday.
Smith is looking for a big improvement in the next game and hinted that if the poor showing continue then some of the stand by players could soon get their chance in the competition when the team return to South America for their four home matches.