FIVE-TIME defending champions Jamaica were dismissed for 209, but managed to peg back the Leeward Islands to 38-3, at the close of day one in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) four-day encounter at Sabina Park in Kingston.

Scores: Jamaica 209 (58.4 overs); Leeward Islands 38-3 (31 overs)

Play will resume at 10:00 o’clock this morning with Leewards opener Montcin Hodge and sidelined West Indies player Devon Thomas unbeaten on 15 and five, respectively.

Left-arm finger spinner Nikita Miller has already taken two wickets for only three runs in seven stifling overs on a Sabina surface that offered some spin and plenty bounce to the slower bowlers.

Yesterday, the Leeward Islands captain Sylvester Joseph won the toss and elected to put the Jamaicans in to bat and saw early success when pacer Quinton Boatswain bowled left-hander Simon Jackson for nought with the score on nine.

Number three batsman Danza Hyatt made 19 before spinner Hayden Walsh had him caught at slip by Joseph at 56-2.

Former national youth player Jermaine Blackwood, who batted at number four, then dominated in a 50-run third-wicket partnership with opener Nkrumah Bonner, before the former mishit a delivery from off-spinner Justin Athanaze and was caught by Lendel Richardson.

By then the 21-year-old Blackwood had struck 42 off just 44 deliveries including seven fours and a six.

Bonner and Jamaican skipper Tamar Lambert (17) pushed the score with relative ease to 137 before the latter unwisely tried to loft Athanaze over the off-side, but only succeeded in spooning a catch to Walters, who ran back from mid-off to take a difficult stumbling chance.

Two further wickets fell with the total on 137.

David Bernard went without troubling the scorers when he sauntered from his crease and was run out after Boatswain’s lbw shout was turned down.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh was also sent back for zero when he top- edged a pull shot from Boatswain and was caught by Leewards’ stand-in ‘keeper Jamar Hamilton.

Boatswain, who enjoyed success with his accurate seam bowling, got his third wicket of the innings when Bonner (39) feathered a catch through to Hamilton at 140-7.

Lower order batsmen Andrew Richardson (1) and Nikita Miller (11) then succumbed to steeply bouncing deliveries from Athanaze before Odean Brown and Sheldon Cotterell (25) played swashbuckling knocks to lift Jamaica past the 200 mark.

Brown, who on a few occasions hoisted tossed-up balls from Athanaze cleanly over the straight ropes, remained on 30 not out. He hit a total of three sixes and two fours off 25 balls.

Athanaze ended with 4-76, while Boatswain chimed in with 3-21.

The end of the Jamaica innings coincided with the tea break, and the hosts wrested the initiative in the remaining 31 overs of the day against a tentative and mostly laborious Leeward Islands batting display.

Opener Lendel Richardson (0) edged his 14th delivery faced – a full-pitched ball from pacer Andrew Richardson — low to Miller in the gully position with the score on four.

Though the Jamaican seam attack of Andrew Richardson, left-arm quick Sheldon Cotterell and medium pacer David Bernard, bowled relatively decent spells, it was Miller who predictably landed the heavier blows as he accounted for Liburd (16) and Joseph (0).

With wrist spinner Brown and the wily Miller operating from either bowling end, the patient Hodge and the unusually subdued Thomas batted without any further loss.

Hodge has faced 84 balls for his 15, while Hodge negotiated 43 deliveries in making five.