BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — An historic hundred by Nkrumah Bonner helped defending champions Jamaica kick off their title defence with a resounding 75-run victory over Barbados in the Regional Super50 here Thursday.

Bonner led the way with a fluent 110, becoming the first Jamaican ever to score a Super50 hundred against the Barbadians, as the visitors posted 239 for eight from 50 overs in their day/night, opening round match at Kensington Oval.

Jamaica captain Tamar Lambert then led steady, if not sensational bowling with three for 22 from his 10 overs, Sheldon Cotterrell grabbed two for 21 from 6.5 overs and Nikita Miller snared two for 26 from 10 overs, as Barbados crumbled for 164 in 44.5 overs.

The 24-year-old Bonner, a graduate of the West Indies High Performance Centre, struck eight fours and four sixes from 139 balls, giving backbone to the Jamaican innings.

He put on 78 for the seventh wicket with Nikita Miller, when Jamaica’s innings appeared at the crossroads on 151 for six in the 38th over.

Bonner, playing his first Super50 match for the Jamaicans, reached his 100 from 132 balls, when he dragged a delivery from Javon Searles through mid-on for a single before he was caught at square cover off the same bowler in the 48th over.

Miller offered him stable support, striking three fours and one six in 42 from 41 balls and led the charge in the closing overs, as Jamaica added 75 in the final 10 overs.

Kevin Stoute was the pick of the Barbados bowlers with two for 31 from eight overs and Christopher Jordan took two for 48 from nine overs.

Openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Rashidi Boucher were two of a handful of Barbados batsmen that got starts without carrying on.

Brathwaite made 22 and Boucher scored 24, sharing 43 for the first wicket before Lambert exposed the Barbadian batting with his uncomplicated off-spin.

Left-hander Jonathan Carter hit the top score of 28, Shane Dowrich got 26 and Christopher Jordan, batting at 10, added 21, but there was neither substance nor stability from the Barbados batting.

Scoreboard

JAMAICA

J Blackwood c wkp Dowrich b Jordan 0

S Jackson c Jordan b Stoute 27

NBonner c Hope b Searles 110

*T Lambert c Nurse b Stoute 12

A McCarthy c Jordan b Carter 2

D Bernard lbw b Nurse 14

+C Baugh lbw b Mayers 9

N Miller not out 42

O Brown c Boucher b Jordan 0

A Richardson not out 4

Extras (b7, lb5, w6, nb1) 19

TOTAL (8 wkts, 50 overs) 239

Did not bat: S Cotterrell.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-47, 3-80, 4-97, 5-138, 6-151, 7-229, 8-231

Bowling: Jordan 9-0-48-2, Searles 10-2-48-1, Nurse 10-2-36-1, Stoute 8-1-31-2, Carter 6-0-31-1, Mayers 7-0-33-1

BARBADOS

K Brathwaite c McCarthy b Lambert 22

R Boucher c Brown b Lambert 24

*K Edwards run out 10

J Carter b Brown 28

K Hope st Baugh b Lambert 13

K Mayers c Jackson b McCarthy 10

+S Dowrich c wkp Baugh b Cotterrell 26

K Stoute c Bernard b Miller 0

A Nurse lbw b Miller 0

C Jordan c wkp Baugh b Cotterrell 21

J Searles not out 7

Extras (w3) 3

TOTAL (all out, 44.5 overs) 164

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-54, 3-60, 4-83, 5-106, 6-122, 7-124, 8-125, 9-147

Bowling: Cotterrell 6.5-0-21-2, Richardson 5-0-24-0, Bernard 1-0-9-0, Lambert 10-2-22-3, Miller 10-1-26-2, Brown 9-0-49-1, McCarthy 3-0-13-1

Result: Jamaica won by 75 runs

Points: Jamaica 4, Barbados 0

Toss: Jamaica

Umpires: P Nero, L Reifer