Mathurin chokes Ja - His five-for restricts hosts to 180

Bernard strikes late to rally Jamaica

BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter

Saturday, February 04, 2012

WINDWARD Islands left-arm spinner Garey Mathurin took five wickets yesterday to restrict reigning champions Jamaica to a modest total of 180 before David Bernard brought back parity with two late wickets in the opening round West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) four-day match at Sabina Park.

Scores: Jamaica 180 (71.4 overs); Windward Islands 49-3 (17 overs).

Play is scheduled to resume this morning at 10:00 with Windward Islands middleorder batsman Keddy Lesporis on seven and night watchman Kenroy Peters on three.

The handful of spectators at the ground anticipated a trademark blitz of an innings from Christopher Gayle, but they were left disappointed as left-arm pacer Peters dismissed the sidelined West Indies opener for two with the score on seven.

After captain Liam Sebastien won the toss and sent in the Jamaicans to take first strike on a batting strip spattered with brownish grass, Peters produced a short of a length delivery in his third over that had Gayle edging into the hands of Lesporis at third slip.

The tall left-hander had missed the recently-concluded Caribbean Twenty20 tournament and was playing his first match for Jamaica since guiding the team to the Super50 title late last year.

Gayle's opening partner Simon Jackson and number three batsman Donovan Pagon quietly pushed the score along to 50 before both fell in quick succession.

Jackson played confidently for 18, but missed the opportunity to build on that good start when he top-edged a sweep off Mathurin and was caught at short fine-leg.

Pagon (23) followed six runs later when he tamely returned a catch to offspinner Shane Shillingford off a flighted delivery.

Jamaica Captain Tamar Lambert also looked positive and shared in a fourth wicket stand of 50 with left-hander Brendan Nash, but on 26 he edged pacer Nelon Pascal through to wicketkeeper Lyndon James.

Mathurin, spearing in accurate deliveries on a surface that offered sharp turn and sometimes alarming bounce for the spinners, then swept through the Jamaica middle and lower-order batting.

He accounted for the wickets of Bernard (11), Andre Russell (16), Nikita Miller (7) and last man Andrew Richardson (13) to finish with figures of 5-34 off 20 overs and four balls.

In-between, Carlton Baugh was run out while attempting a sharp single and Odean Brown was dismissed off the spin bowling of Sebastien.

Nash, who batted bravely and solidly, particularly against the spin threat of Shillingford and Mathurin, was left stranded on 49 not out.

In reply, the Windwards openers Devon Smith and Johnson Charles saw off the Jamaican pace duo of Richardson and Russell and pushed the score to 31 before Bernard struck twice.

He angled a delivery across Smith (12) that forced the lefthander to edge through to Jackson, who dived smartly to his right at second slip to take a low catch. Six runs later Bernard got his second when Andre Fletcher (2) was adjudged leg before wicket, attempting a loose off-drive.

Charles (24) was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Nikita Miller just before close of play to leave honours even at the end of day one.

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Mathurin chokes Ja - His five-for restricts hosts to 180