ON a day when 16 wickets fell, it was Jamaica’s Franchise who held a slight advantage with an overall lead of 246 against the Windward Islands Volcanoes when bad light forced a stop to play on day two of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-Day Tournament at Sabina Park yesterday. Scoreboard

An impressive five-wicket haul by debutant Marquino Mindley had earlier handed the Jamaicans first-innings honours as the Windward Islands Volcanoes were knocked over for a paltry 110.

Mindley grabbed five for 34 from 16.2 overs which included six maidens. The Jamaicans in their second innings were reeling at 148 for nine going into today’s third day.

Mindley (three) and fellow debutant Keno Wallace (zero) will resume batting.

Nkrumah Bonner has so far topscored with 41, followed by Carlton Baugh Jr, who raced to 31 from 26 balls. Left-arm spinner Alston Bobb has so far bagged five wickets for 46 runs for overall match figures of 11 for 91, while Mervin Matthew has three for 19 and Liam Sebastian, one for 26. Captain Tamar Lambert expressed disappointment with their dismal batting performance, but is backing his bowlers to get the job done.

“It was a bit disappointing the way we batted in the second innings and I think we could apply ourselves better. There is a possibility that the game could end tomorrow (today), we have a sizeable lead and, with the last pair at the wicket, hopefully we can get a few more.

“I back my bowlers to get 10 wickets, but it is not going to happen like that. We have to bowl the ball in the right areas and maintain our discipline.

I know the Windwards are going to come a lot more positive, so we have to go out there and fight for it,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Meanwhile, Liam Sebastian said that they will be aiming to correct their mistakes in the first innings. “We are looking to get the wicket as quickly as possible and then go out and bat as long as possible.

Because most likely the game is going to finish tomorrow and I am hoping that when it finishes we will be a smiling bunch at the end,” he said.

The Volcanoes resuming from their overnight score of 16 for three, were aided by a 34-run fourth-wicket partnership between Tyrone Theophille and Romel Currency, which turned out to be the only highlight of their substandard innings.

Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller got the breakthrough when he had Theophille stumped by wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr for 24.

That sparked a mini collapse for the Volcanoes, as David Bernard Jr had captain Liam Sebastian caught behind for three, before Miller had Lindon James caught by John Campbell in the slip cordon for six.

Currency, in his attempt to push things along, was stumped off the bowling of Miller for 19 with the score at 75 for seven, before Mervin Matthew became Mindley’s fourth victim when he was caught by Bonner for a duck.

Bobb and Kenroy Peters then took them to lunch without further loss when the rains came. The Jamaicans then wrapped things up after the break when Mindley trapped Nalon Pascal in front to claim his a five-wicket haul.

Miller had the next best bowling figures with four for 25, as Bobb was left unbeaten on 36.

WINDWARD ISLAND VOLCANOES (first innings 110 all out)

D Smith ct Campbell b Mindley 6

T Theophille st wkt Baugh b Miller 24

A Fletcher ct wkt Baugh Jr b Mindley 5

S Ambris lbw b Mindley 0

R Currency st wkt Baugh b Miller 19

L Sebastian c wkt Baugh b Bernard Jr 3

L James c Campbell b Miller 6

A Bobb not out 36

M Matthew c Bonner b Mindley 0

K Peters lbw Miller 2

N Pascal lbw Mindley 4

Extras: 5 (lb 3, nb 2)

Total: 110 all out (48.2 overs)

Bowlers: M Mindley 16.2-6-34-5; K Wallace 6-1-23-0; D Jacobs 1-1-0-0; N Miller 18-6-25-4; D Bernard Jr 7-2-24-1

Fall of Wickets: 6-1, 12-2, 12-3, 46-4, 53-5, 64-6, 75-7, 82-8, 103-9, 110-10

JAMAICA (first innings 208)

2nd Innings 148-9

S Thomas c Ambris b Matthew 1

J Campbell c Ambris b Matthew 15

N Bonner c&b Bobb 41

J Blackwood c Theophille b Matthew 0

T Lambert c Smith b Bobb 11

D Bernard Jr c&b Bobb 0

C Baugh Jr c Ambris b Bobb 31

N Miller c b Sebastian 11

D Jacobs c b Bobb 29

M Mindley not out 3

K Wallace not out 0

Extras: 6 (nb 3, lb 2, b 1)

Total: 148 for 9 (39.1 overs)

Bowler: N Pascal 5-0-37-0; M Matthew 7-1-19-3; K Peters 3-0-17-0; A Bobb 15-3-46 -5; L Sebastian

9.1-2-26-1

Fall of Wickets: 12-1, 23-2, 23-3, 66-4, 70-5, 104-6, 105-7, 131-8, 147-9,

Toss: Jamaica

Series: Jamaica leads by 246 runs

Umpires: Verdayne Smith (JAM), Joel

Wilson (T&T)

Match Referee: Donovan Hayles (JAM)