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Day 1: Willet glows in gloom

Philip Spooner

Leewards Islands 80-2 v Jamaica

The stylish elegance of Tonito Willet and the tenacity of birthday boy Omari Banks brightened up an otherwise gloomy day yesterday.

Willet, playing polished strokes off the front foot, combined with Banks in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 44 before a heavy shower brought play to a close at 5:34 p.m.

Play never got going until 3 p.m. and Jamaica were expected to complete 45 overs by 6 p.m. after winning the toss.

They managed 39.2 overs, which meant that about half the days play was lost even though some time was made up.

The 17-year-old Willet, who made 97 in his previous innings, stroked two leg-side boundaries in his 28 not out in 75 minutes batting off 78 balls.

The Nevisians ice-cool demeanour suggests a player of great confidence and this rubbed off on his partner, who looked solid against the slow bowling.

Banks, a tall Anguillan with a liking for hitting through the line, celebrated his 17th birthday yesterday and received some generosity from the Jamaicans, who put him down three times.

He was floored twice off the fiery bowling of lanky speedster Germaine Lawson, and later he was missed at slip as leg-spinner Kevin Peart got one to turn and bounce.

Banks survived for 135 minutes for his 37, made off 116 balls with four boundaries. In the previous match, he batted 45 minutes without scoring.

Earlier, the Leewards suffered an early setback when Shane Jeffers was caught at slip by Brenton Parchment, off stocky seam bowler Kamal Dennis, for one in the days second over.

Banks added 35 for the second wicket with Zachary Kenworthy before the latter was caught, also by Parchment at slip, off an arm-ball from off-spinner Marlon Samuels. Willet and Banks then saw the Leewards to the close.

Day 2: Jamaican pacer rips through Leewards

Philip Spooner at Kensington Oval

Leeward Islands 94; Jamaica 30-1

TWO heavy ``forces'' struck with great impact yesterday.

First, Jamaican fast bowler Germaine Lawson produced a steamy spell of fast bowling to shatter the Leeward Islands.

Then after the lanky ``country boy'' had done severe damage, a heavy shower drenched the outfield during the lunch break causing the final four hours to be lost.

But what transpired in the first hour will long be remembered by the handful of viewers. Lawson, a tall, lithe right-armer from the St. Catherine Cricket Club, adhered to the old adage of good line and length as the Leewards capsized from the overnight 80 for two to lose eight wickets for 10 runs in 35 minutes.

Starting the day with none for 32 off 8.2 overs, he reversed that, collecting five wickets for seven runs off 6.1 overs of accuracy and aggression from the northern end.

It was a spell that could rate with many of the other fine efforts witnessed by Kensington over the years, and must surely have pencilled him in for the Young West Indies' trip to the Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka early next year. It was his second burst in as many matches, following four for 35 in the opening round against Trinidad and Tobago.

At 84 the Leewards lost overnight batsman Tonito Willett for 32, 10 minutes into the day and that triggered an amazing collapse, which saw four more wickets tumble without addition. Kevin Peart, an accurate if not venemous leg-spinner,spinnercomplemented Lawson with three for 12 off 12.2 overs.

Jamaica then started in earnest, reaching a comfortable position by lunch, with opener Glenmore Hall on 17 with two boundaries and allrounder Marlon Samuels on nine.

Then rain hit with as much force as Lawson and kept the groundstaff busy with the water-hog. The main area of concern was the run-up at the northern end, which probably suffered severely from the feet of Lawson earlier.

The officials kept hope alive until 4 p.m. but the areas immediately surrounding the pitch were deemed to be too soggy for play to resume.

It put paid to a potentially strong position by the Jamaicans, but manager Lynden Wright, though disappointed, took it in stride.

``You can't fight nature,'' he said calmly after the day's play. ``It's unfortunate today was washed out, but we will first have a go at getting first innings points and then see thereafter.''