THE Leewards Islands lost first-innings points, but spurred by off-spinner Omari Banks' five-wicket haul had propelled themselves to a position of parity with home team and defending champions Jamaica at the close of day two of their Carib Beer clash at Kensington Park yesterday.

As was the case with the Leewards on the first day, Jamaica suffered a dramatic middle- to lower-order collapse to lose the initiative after seemingly cruising towards a big first-innings lead.

Jamaica's middle-order batsman David Bernard Jnr (right) square cuts during his knock of 45 while Leeward Islands' wicketkeeper Alderman Lesmond looks on at Kensington Park yesterday. (Photo: Michael Gordon)

From a position of 180-4 in the lunch-tea session, the home team lost five wickets for 13 runs in six overs to be in real danger of falling short of the Leewards' first innings of 196.

But a last-wicket stand of 30 between Andrew Richardson, 14 not out, and Jerome Taylor (13) saved the day for the home team. Jamaica were eventually dismissed for 223, a first innings lead of 27.
Before a shower and leaking covers forced the abandonment of the last hour of play, the Leewards had erased the Jamaican lead and reached 46-1. Shane Jeffers, not out 18, and Runako Morton on 0 will resume today.

The attractive left-hander Austin Richards (18) was the lone wicket for the Jamaicans, brilliantly run out by David Bernard's direct hit from mid-off.

The 23 year-old Banks, finding bounce and turn, and looking more dangerous as his marathon 30-over spell progressed, triggered the Jamaican collapse with the dismissal of Gareth Breese (18).
Banks, who had earlier sent back Xavier Marshall (36), then quickly accounted for Carlton Baugh (9), Bernard (45) and Odean Brown (1) to close with 5-76 from 30 overs.

Seamer Carl Simon chipped in with the wicket of Nikita Miller (1) as Jamaica fell away to 193-9 before Taylor and Richardson shifted the pressure.

Skipper Tamar Lambert top-scored for the Jamaicans, hitting 51 with a six and four fours off 126 balls and until he fell caught down the legside, never looked in trouble on a pitch that has been good for batting over the first two days.

Before another small crowd, Jamaica, resuming at 35-1, started badly, losing Danza Hyatt, second ball of the day, leg-before-wicket to the accurate Carl Simon.

But Xavier Marshall, not out seven overnight, and Lambert brought stability to the innings with a stand of 61 that seemed destined for much greater things when Marshall lost his head.

Apparently deciding to smash Banks out of the attack, the 19-year-old, who hit a single boundary in his 126-ball knock, succeeded only in providing Adam Sanford with a head high catch at deep mid-on.
The small crowd relaxed once more as Lambert and Bernard added 50 without fuss.

But on the stroke of lunch, Lambert, who had looked very good in defence while confidently putting away the loose balls, was caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Alderman Lesmond as the right-hander miscued the leg glance against the medium pace of Tonito Willett.

Yet again the spectators were to be lured into a false sense of security as Bernard and Breese shared 36 for the fifth wicket.
But by then Banks, well into his extended spell, was finding some turn and bounce, which accounted for Breese, caught by Jeffers at forward short leg, diving forward, as the right-hander pushed in tentative defence.

Banks could have had Baugh two balls later, but Lesmond dropped the edge as the little right-hander went back to cut. But the miss was to prove inexpensive. Eight runs later, Baugh, coming forward, lobbed a return catch to the bowler.

There was a buzz around the ground three runs later as Miller was trapped leg before by Simon at 191-7 as the reality hit that Jamaica could fall short of the Leewards' first innings.

The momentum seemed to be with the Leewards when Banks disposed of Bernard and Odean Brown in identical fashion at 193.
Seeking to clear mid-on to give his team a boundary that would earn Jamaica first-innings points, Bernard, having hit four fours in 89 balls, was caught by Sanford at a wide long-on.

Then Brown, having crossed with the ball in the air, tried the same shot next ball for Sanford to make a slightly more difficult catch running back.

But Taylor triggered a Jamaican sigh of relief by hoisting Banks to the midwicket boundary to earn the first-innings lead. He and Richardson extended the lead in an entertaining last-wicket stand before Taylor fell to the second new ball, lbw to Gavin Tonge.

The Leewards' openers Jeffers and Richards, as they did in the first innings, started brightly with Richards especially impressing with some lovely backfoot offside drives off Richardson.

It took a brilliant piece of fielding from Bernard to get rid of Richards. Bernard sprinted to his left at mid off, picked up and threw to hit the stumps direct with the desperately lunging Richards short of his ground.

The rain came shortly after, but for a relatively brief period. An examination soon showed that while the pitch was fine, water had leaked through the covers just adjacent, causing soft spots.

After much delay the umpires called off play for the day.
As was the case yesterday, play should resume at 9:30 this morning, half an hour earlier than scheduled to make up for lost time.

myersg @jamaicaobserver.com

SCOREBOARD

LEEWARDS 1st Innings 196 (R Morton 62, S Jeffers 55, S Joseph 47, A Richards 20; A Richardson 5-32, N Miller 3-37, G Breese 2-31)

JAMAICA 1st Innings (overnight 35-1)
B Parchment c Morton b Sanford 19
X Marshall c Sanford b Banks 36
D Hyatt lbw b Simon 7
T Lambert c wk Lesmond b Willett 51
D Bernard c Sanford b Banks 45
G Breese c Jeffers b Banks 18
C Baugh c & b Banks 5
N Miller lbw b Simon 1
O Brown c Sanford b Banks 1
A Richardson not out 14
J Taylor lbw b Tonge 13
Extras (lb6, nb7) 13

TOTAL (all out - 80.4 overs) 223

Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-35, 3-97, 4-144, 5-180, 6-188, 7-191, 8-193, 9-193, 10-223.

Bowling: Sanford 16-2-67-1, Tonge 8.4-3-20-1, Simon 17-6-27-2, Banks 30-5-76-5, Cornwall 7-1-24-0, Willett 2-1-3-1.

LEEWARDS 2nd Innings

S Jeffers not out 18
A Richards run out 18
R Morton not out 0
Extras (b4, lb5, nb1) 10

TOTAL (1 wkt - 13.1 overs) 46

Fall of wicket: 1-41.
Bowling: Taylor 4.1-1-14-0, Richardson 4-0-19-0, Breese 5-3-4-0.

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