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Day 1: Jamaicans jolt Bajans

Haydn Gill at Crab Hill

Barbados 196, Jamaica 90-2

The lovely country atmosphere in the north was the ideal setting for the Nortel semifinal duel between Barbados and Jamaica yesterday.

And, at the end of a day highlighted by sustained pace and hostility from two Jamaicans and another significant contribution from Ryan Hinds, the visitors could claim to have a slight advantage.

They resume this morning needing 107 runs for the important first innings lead, and they have as many as eight wickets in hand.

Jermaine Lawson, his reputation already enhanced by his 21 wickets in the previous three matches, and Andrew Richardson, playing his first match of the tournament, unsettled Barbados with an early morning burst and an equally devastating but more damaging jolt just before tea.

While they were out of the attack, Hinds once more provided the only semblance of solidity in a team that depends heavily on him.

The left-hander was again playing with tremendous authority when Richardson was recalled for a second spell 25 minutes before tea in front of a large crowd at the picturesque ground with its lush green outfield.

Disappointing end

By then, Hinds, in association with the busy Dwayne Smith and the sound Rohan Nurse, had resurrected Barbados' worrying position of 53 for three into a more comforting 152 for four.

Richardson's second ball was a loose one down the leg-side, but Hinds could only help it on the way to the 'keeper. It was a disappointing end to an innings of 76 that included nine fours and two sixes off 138 balls.

It was a breakthrough Jamaica needed and once the crucial captain was out of the way, the last six Barbados wickets were swept aside for 46 runs.

All of those scalps went to either Lawson or Richards, who finished with five for 46 from 15 overs.

It took the pair very little time to administer damage after Jamaica won the toss, which required three attempts for varying reasons.

In the day's third over, Lawson inflicted a blow to Jason Parris' right shoulder that obliged him to retire hurt and not return until eight wickets were down.

Kurt Wilkinson, lacking in form and confidence, was an obvious lbw victim shuffling across his stumps to the 17-year-old Richardson.

It was so much of a struggle for Barbados over the first one-and-a-half hours that the first 20 overs produced only 36 runs.

Jason Haynes had done well to weather the early burst, but fell to a bat-pad catch at forward short-leg against the friendlier fast-medium stuff of Kamal Dennis.

When Vonrick Nurse was given out to a catch at mid-wicket that was held inches off the ground seven minutes before lunch, Barbados were in need of a recovery.

Debutant Smith played a few neat, wristy strokes against the spinners in a brisk knock of 32, but after outscoring Hinds in a fourth-wicket partnership of 61, his attempted drive through extra-cover against Kevin Peart's leg-spin was plucked out on the second attempt by Marlon Samuels.

By then, Hinds had swung Dennis over mid-wicket for his first six and his second was even more convincing, lifting left-arm spinner Barrington Bartley over the long-on boundary.

The left-handed Hinds, whose previous scores in the tournament were 124, 42 and 91 not out, was seemingly giving Barbados the initiative with Nurse when Richardson made the most telling blow of the day.

After he was out, life became very difficult for Barbados.

Callitos Lopez, fresh from a half-century, launched into an expansive back-foot drive to his fourth ball and was bowled.

Two wickets down in quick succession, Jamaica captain Tamar Lambert summoned Lawson from the opposite end.

His first ball was perfectly executed through mid-off for four by Nurse, but he responded by producing a beauty that breached Nurse's defensive prod and bowled him.

Sulieman Benn and Jedson Yarde, who took a few body blows, survived for a little while before Benn failed to get hold of an attempted pull.

Yarde attracted one from Lawson that bowled him before he could play either forward or back, and the innings was completed when newcomer Marlon Franklyn also fell to an attempted pull.

Jamaica were off to an enterprising start with Brenton Parchment and Glenmore Hall staring the innings with five successive boundaries.

Barbados removed both before the close, but it promises to be a tall order for them today.

Day 2: Bajans in lead

Haydn Gill at Crab Hill

Barbados 196 and 185-8, Jamaica 194

The Nortel semifinal between Barbados and Jamaica is headed for a fascinating finale after a remarkable turn of events yesterday.

The first session was a sensational one in which Sulieman Benn's dangerous, deceptive, left-arm spin bowling inspired the host country to a mammoth recovery and an unlikely first innings lead by a mere two runs.

The second session revived unpleasant memories of the opening day when Barbados were unsettled by Jamaica's devastating fast bowlers before Dwayne Smith's forthright and no-nonsense approach left the contest evenly poised once more.

On resumption after tea, Jamaica eased ahead with two wickets in the first half-hour, but by the close the match was on even keel again, thanks to Callitos Lopez's aggression and essential solid support from Rohan Nurse and Benn.

Those three ensured a precious 88 runs were added after Barbados were reduced to 97 for six.

To the disappointment of another large crowd at the lovely ground in the north, Benn was bowled playing across to the day's last ball, but Nurse resumes this morning on 34 with the knowledge that he holds the key to Barbados extending their lead of 187.

No one could have predicted the drama before lunch after the compact Carlton Baugh and the confident Marlon Samuels had batted through the first 45 minutes without any alarms.

Jamaica, 127 for two, suddenly lost their way after the first of two stupendous catches by Jedson Yarde, the first at mid-off accounting for Baugh off Ryan Hinds' left-arm spin.

It was the wicket needed for Benn to make inroads in a high-class spell in which his variation was superb.

The tall, left-arm spinner, who finished with seven for 51 from 31 overs, hardly delivered a bad ball in the period in which Jamaica lost six wickets for 30.

After Baugh was out for the topscore of 42, Benn struck telling blows in each of his next three overs.

Samuels, a brother of discarded West Indies opener Robert Samuels, was prised out by a fine delivery from Benn which bounced and took the edge of his bat on the way to the keeper.

The next two victims were both uncertain. Barrington Bartley, pushing forward, was caught left-handed by the diving Jason Parris at forward short-leg, while wicket-keeper Mel Wint was lbw to a faster ball.

Kevin Peart was also undone by a quickish one that bowled him and Barbados were the clear favourites for the lead when Andrew Richardson skied a catch to extra-cover.

Jamaica, however, counter-attacked with captain Tamar Lambert and especially Kamal Dennis, who hosited Hinds and Yarde for straight sixes and belted three fours off Callitos Lopez.

Lambert, slashing at Benn, was clutched in inches off the ground by Yarde at point and as Jamaica inched their way towards the lead, Lopez bemused Dennis with a slower ball which he played around and was bowled.

Cock-a-hoop one moment, Barbados were depressed the next as pacer Jermaine Lawson removed Jason Parris and the struggling Kurt Wilkinson in successive balls, while his partner Richardson claimed the most important wicket when he dismissed Hinds for the second time in the match, the left-hander going for a duck.

When Vonrick Nurse turned a ball into short-leg's hands 40 minutes before tea, Barbados were 28 for four, but Smith arrived to play some of the most scintallating strokes in the match, in an innings of 43 off only 52 balls.

He became cautious after tea before falling in almost identical fashion to the first innings, hitting a catch to extra-cover off leg-spinner Kevin Peart.

Jason Haynes added 62 with Smith and was in for two hours when Peart bowled him.

Lopez also played a few exciting strokes in making 38 and Nurse overcame an uncertain start to survive the final hour-and-a-half.

Day 3: One step from Cup

Haydn Gil at Crab Hill

Barbados (196 and 214) beat Jamaica (194 and 196) by 20 runs.

A match packed with drama from beginning to end, climaxed in gripping tension yesterday evening.

Neither side deserved to lose, but in the end Barbados sneaked into the Nortel Networks youth championship final after completing yet another stunning revival against Jamaica.

Rain held up play for an hour and 20 minutes because of rain. Barbados extended their overnight 185 for eight with the help of Rohan Nurse, who was left unbeaten on 50 when the innings ended just after lunch.

Jamaica, set 217 in a minimum of 71 overs, were moving swiftly along after tea, reaching 140 for two half-hour after the break, their acceleration provided by the commanding Marlon Samuels.

Another mid-innings collapse orchestrated by the left-arm spin of captain Ryan Hinds and Sulieman Benn and a late afternoon shower just after 4:30 p.m., set the stage for the last heart-stopping stages.

When play could eventually restart at 5:40 p.m., Jamaica needed a further 38 runs and Barbados required two wickets from 5.4 overs to take their place in the final against Trinidad and Tobago starting tomorrow at Kensington Oval.

To Barbados advantage, Samuels, 104 by then, only had the support of two tail-enders.

The very first ball from Hinds, he hoisted back over head for a six and the fifth was slashed square of the wicket for four.

Barbados then appeared to lose the plot slightly and the field-placings were puzzling at times. Hinds, however, seemed to have got it right when he set every man on the boundary wheSamuels was in strike.

The Barbados captain strangely offered Samuels a single off the final ball of an over from Benn, but Samuels could not get the ball off the pitch. In trying to scamper a single, the No. 10 Kevin Peart was easily run out.

Jamaica needed 21 runs from three overs when the last man went to the middle with the light quickly fading.

By now, the more than 500 spectators knew Samuels held the key to the match, but Barbados were finally able to conquer him when he attempted his sixth six.

Callitos Lopez, stationed on the long-off boundary, safely accepted the match-winning catch to end Samuels impressive innings of 119 off 152 balls.

For much of the afternoon, many felt Barbados were under tremendous pressure, but coach Richard Straker was always confident of victory.

Im very elated for the guys. Im very happy. We did a lot of hard work and it paid off in the end, he said.

This match will long be remembered for its several twists and turns and yesterdays final day produced almost a carbon-copy of what unfolded the previous day.

Jamaica had again put themselves in a strong position on the strength of Samuels bold and calculated aggression and Barbados were again forced to depend on the spin that instigated the first innings collapse.

Samuels was especially devastating after tea when he launched into a brutal attack against Benn.

Benns third over after tea yielded 16 runs, including a massive six which the No. 4 batsman advanced down the pitch and lifted the tall left-arm spinner over the sightscreen, something which he had done to the same bowler in his previous over.

Samuels partner in Jamaicas pursuit was solid opener Brenton Parchment, the pair adding 97 for the third wicket before the partnership was ended with the lbw dismissal of Parchment for 42.

It was the first of four wickets for Hinds, who quickly had Jamaica captain Tamar Lambert caught at backward square-leg attempting a sweep.

By then, Barbados felt they had a semblance of a chance against a middle-order that offered little resistance in the first innings.

Benn then took care of Barrington Bartley with a low caught and bowled chance, Andrew Richardson, to an easy slip catch and Mel Wint, an lbw victim pushing tentatively forward.

When Lopez took the first of his two catches on the long-off boundary that accounted for big-hitter Kamal Dennis, the advantage was now clearly with Barbados.

The stoppage for rain made the tension even greater, but Barbados would not be denied.