Aggressive half-centuries from opener Brenton Parchment (82 not out) and middle-order batsman Shawn Findlay (65) led a strong David Bernard Jr XI fightback against Tamar Lambert’s XI on the second day of the first Jamaica cricket trial match at Up Park Camp yesterday.

Jamaica are preparing for the regional four-day tournament which begins in January 2010.

At the close, Bernard Jr’s XI were 189-3 off 40 overs and will look to pile on the runs against Lambert’s XI huge 462 all out from 106 overs and three balls on a pitch still favourable to batting.

Earlier, skipper Tamar Lambert pushed his overnight score of 142 to 168 from 275 balls faced before he was dismissed by Findlay.

Nikita Miller was also dismissed for 46 by the hard-working Findlay after he had resumed on 11 overnight. Tailenders Andre Russell, who blasted 61 inclusive of 1- fours, and Andrew Richardson (24) were then both dislodged by spinner Odean Brown after frustrating the bowlers.

Findlay finished with figures of 3-51 off 16 overs while Brown snatched 3-81 off 27 overs and three balls. Bernard Jr had taken two wickets on the first day.

In Bernard XI’s reply, Parchment and John-Ross Taylor played positively until the latter was sent back by promising lanky pacer Ricardo Dacres.

Donavan Pagon was then bowled by Miller before Findlay partnered Parchment to push the bowlers on the backfoot. Parchment stroked 13 fours off 112 balls faced in his unbeaten knock and will be eyeing a century, while Findlay hammered five fours and four sixes before he was adjudged leg before wicket just before close of play to Lambert’s gentle off-spin.

Parchment will be partnered by Wavell Hinds when play resumes today at 10:00 am. Dacres, Miller and Lambert have taken one wicket each so far.

After the day’s play, national coach Junior Bennett said he was satisfied with how the batmen “applied themselves” and contended that despite the good batting conditions the bowlers put the ball in “good areas”.

– S Myers