Tony Becca
Yesterday's opening day of the four-day cricket match between Jamaica and the West Indies at Sabina Park was marked by a lacklustre batting performance by the home team.
The match, organised to satisfy the International Cricket Conference's ruling that the pitch be inspected before another Test match can be played on it following January's abandoned Test between the West Indies and England when it was ruled too dangerous for play after 10.1 overs, was watched by former England captain Mike Smith representing the ICC and former West Indies fast bowler Richard Edwards - representing the West Indies.
Although the bounce of the ball was even, at the close of the day's play, there were wide cracks all over the pitch - so much so that it looked like a jigsaw puzzle.
Batting first, Jamaica were disappointing.
After a slow but promising start which saw them easing to 73 without loss before Carl Wright was leg before wicket to left-arm pacer Pedro Collins for 28, Jamaica crawled to 173 for five off 64 overs as they lost Christopher Gayle for zero - bowled by Collins at 73 for two, Leon Garrick for 36 - caught wicketkeeper Courtney Browne off Collins at 77 for three, James Adams for 18 - leg before wicket to captain Ian Bishop at 107 for four, and Wavell Hinds for 22 - caught Browne off medium-pacer Keith semple at 136 for five.
Tony Powell was not out on 27 and Gareth Breese on 18.
Collins was the pick of the ``A'' team's bowlers with figures of three for 25 13 overs.
The Jamaica batting was so inept, and in a match of little pressure at that, that pacer Carl Tucket, who was dropped from the Leeward Islands team after the first match of the recently concluded Red Stripe Bowl tournament conceded only 25 runs from 15 overs, and Semple, who is nothing but a part-time bowler, bowled 12 overs, including five maidens, and picked up one wicket for 15 runs.
Day 2: Powell pushes Jamaica to 315
Middle-order batsman Tony Powell scored a century yesterday to highlight the second day of the four-day match against West Indies A at Sabina Park.
Powell, resuming on 27, hammered 11 boundaries in making 102 as Jamaica, 173 for five overnight, reached 315 all out.
The hard-hitting Tony Powell was well supported by tailender Kirk Powell as the two featured in a 92-run stand for the ninth wicket. The stand was broken when Kirk Powell (29) offered a return catch to Carl Tuckett.
At the close of play yesterday West Indies A were 115 for four with Keith Semple unbeaten on 44 and Ramnaresh Sarwan yet to score. The game continues today at 10 a.m.