Victory secured - Ja pull off 81-run win over Windwards

BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter

Monday, February 06, 2012

JAMAICA yesterday weathered a battling 103 from opener Devon Smith to pull off a 81-run win over the Windward Islands inside three days in the opening round West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) four-day match at Sabina Park.

Jamaica, seeking an unprecedented fifth straight regional four-day title, had to thank fast bowling all-rounder Andre Russell, who crucially dismissed Smith to leave the Windwards still needing at 104 with two wickets in hand.

The plucky Windwards team was eventually bowled out in the final hour of play for 238 in search of 320 for victory.

Jamaica captain Tamar Lambert praised the Windwards batting, but felt his bowlers provided good pressure throughout.

"I think Windwards did well and Smith played a good knock though he wasn't fluent. On this pitch the batsmen felt they were never in," Lambert said, while praising the significance of Christopher Gayle's match-winning knock of 165 in the second innings.

Scores: Jamaica 180 and 298; Windward Islands 159 and 238.

The Windward Islands run-chase got off to the worst possible start when pacer Andrew Richardson found a thick edge of Johnson Charles’ bat to have him caught by Lambert with the score on 10.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Nikita Miller trapped both Keddy Lesporis and lefthander Dalton Polius leg before wicket, while Gayle accounted for the wickets of Liam Sebastien and Garey Mathurin to leave Windwards teetering on 49-5.

Andre Fletcher batted at number seven due to a reported leg injury and he briefly sparked a fight-back with the lefthanded Smith as the Jamaican bowlers threatened to wrap up the match in the post-lunch session.

They added 39 for the sixth wicket before Miller dismissed Fletcher via the lbw route.

Wicketkeeper batsman Lyndon James joined Smith and the pair mixed confident and positive strokeplay with solid defence as they added 85 for the seventh wicket.

James was dismissed and the partnership ended when Brendan Nash at point broke the stumps with a throw when Smith tried to force a suicidal single.

The small-framed Smith finally reached the milestone when he cracked a short ball from Miller through the cover-point region for four.

The chase was well and truly over soon after when Smith left alone an off-cutter from a sprightly-looking Russell that thudded into the off-stump.

Smith, who was dropped on 30 by Miller at slip off the bowling of Gayle, had compiled his defiant century off 245 balls and struck 12 fours and one six.

The 30-year-old Smith was satisfied with his innings and the effort of the team, but rued his dismissal at that stage of the game.

"I think we lost it when I got out. I should have taken the team home, but there are some positives to take from the game because the team really gave it a good try. The Jamaicans bowled well and Gayle's innings (of 165) was important so overall things were good for them," he said.

Usually susceptible to slow bowling, he played confidently against both Miller and leg-spinner Odean Brown and used the batting crease well, despite not advancing down the pitch to either bowler.

Russell then mopped up Kenroy Peters (0) and Nelon Pascal (14) to end the Windwards innings and finished with 3-16 off seven overs and one ball.

Miller took 3-65 off 36 marathon overs, while Gayle snared 2-51 off 19.

Resuming earlier on their overnight 262-7, Jamaica added 36 runs in 37 minutes against a business-like Windward Islands bowling performance.

That pushed the Jamaican lead to 319 after the home team made 180 in their first innings and restricted the Windward Islands to 159.

Shillingford, who took four wickets from the previous afternoon, trapped Russell (29) lbw and had Odean Brown (13) caught by Andre Fletcher.

Meanwhile, Andrew Richardson (four) fell lbw to pacer Pascal for four.

The 28-year-old Shillingford extracted plenty of turn and bounce from the dry Sabina pitch and finished with outstanding figures of 6-75 off 19.5 overs. He also took one wicket in Jamaica's first innings.

Jamaica, without both Gayle and Russell, will next face Barbados at Sabina, starting Friday. The duo have contractual obligations with the Bangladesh Premier League.

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Victory secured - Ja pull off 81-run win over Windwards