Attractive half-centuries give Ja slight edge on day one

BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Captain Tamar Lambert and out-of-favour West Indies batsman Donovan Pagon scored attractive half-centuries to give reigning champions Jamaica a slight advantage on yesterday's opening day of the second round West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) four-day match against Barbados at Sabina Park.

At the close of some riveting action on the day, Barbados closed on five without loss in reply to Jamaica's challenging 287 all out.

Scores: Jamaica 287 all out (84.4 overs); Barbados 5-0 (3 overs).

Batting first after Lambert won the toss, Jamaica lost both openers and were reduced to 16-2 against the formidable Barbados fast bowling attack.

The left-handed Simon Jackson was adjudged leg before wicket to Tino Best for nought with only seven on the score board. Danza Hyatt followed soon after when he pushed hard at a good length delivery from the energetic Best and edged a catch to Ryan Hinds at gully.

Pagon and left-hander Brendan Nash provided stubborn resistance to the pace trio of Best, Fidel Edwards and Kemar Roach and lifted Jamaica to 70-2 at the lunch break.

Nash gave away his hand, however, in the first over after the interval when he was lured into nicking a full and wide delivery from Edwards into the assured clutches of Hinds at gully

His dismissal brought Lambert to the wicket and he, along with Pagon, thrilled the small gathering of spectators with classic off-drives against the pacers and well-controlled lofted hits down the ground against the slow bowlers.

The pair added a quick-fire 79 for the fourth wicket, despite the best efforts of Fidel Edwards and Best. Both bowled with admirable pace and swing on a Sabina Park pitch that generally offered low bounce to the quicks.

The slow bowlers also found little joy yesterday, despite the dry-looking nature of the surface.

At 149-3, Pagon softly gave his wicket away when he played against the spin of left-arm slow bowler Ryan Hinds and miscued a simple catch to Kraigg Brathwaite at short cover.

He made 55, including seven fours and a six off 131 balls and had weathered an aggressive second spell from Best before opening up with two fours and a six off left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn to bring up his 50.

Lambert went for 51 and the total at 180-5 when he top-edged a cut to Hinds at gully off the bowling of Benn. Lambert faced 101 balls and caressed four fours and two sixes.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh followed to the very next delivery as Barbados threatened to run through the Jamaica lower middle-order.

David Bernard (27), Nikita Miller (28), Andrew Richardson (28) and Odean Brown with 19 not out proceeded to frustrate the Bajan attack with lusty hits mixed with solid defence and pushed the team to their eventual total.

The Bajans openers Kraigg Brathwaite and captain Kirk Edwards survived a testing three overs in the late afternoon and will resume at 10:00 am today.

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Attractive half-centuries give Ja slight edge on day one