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The battle lines were drawn in mid-afternoon. By late evening, however, Jamaica were winning the war against Barbados.

Chris Gayle, heartbeats away from his third regional hundred, was the general in command, assisted by an able lieutenant in Wayne Cuff.

Their fighting third-wicket stand of 126 that frustrated Barbados for half of the day's play has given the defending champions a comfortable lead of 243 ahead of today's final day.

Even if Jamaica went on the defensive in the final 45 minutes, they will still feel they can press for victory on a Kensington Oval pitch that remains a paradise for batsmen.

Gayle resumes this morning on 97 in a Jamaica second innings total of 182 for four and no one excepts them to bat for more than an hour.

Yesterday, in the middle of an absorbing contest between bat and ball, tempers flared slightly.

Barbados pacers Hendy Bryan and Dayne Maynard were unwavering with the ball and Jamaica's Gayle and Cuff were doggedly trying to survive. There appeared to be a slight collision between Cuff and Maynard and it seemed to create a bit of tension between batsmen and fielders.

At the time, Jamaica, with the useful first innings advantage of 61, could hardly accelerate and managed only 63 runs between lunch and tea.

To their credit, Gayle and Cuff were unflustered by all the chatter and made sure that Barbados captured no more than two wickets in the session.

The two victims were achieved from stupendous catches that lifted the sprits of the Barbadians, but they made no further inroads until after 5 p.m. when the partnership was in progress for three hours and 20 minutes.

Gayle, Most Valuable Player of last season, grew more and more assured as the afternoon progressed.

If he was uncharacteristically cautious for the first three hours he was in, the 21-year-old West Indies discard came back after tea to unleash some of the powerful off-side strokes that brought him many of his 623 runs last season.

The tall left-hander favours either the square or cover drive and the cut and they were responsible for a high proportion of his 13 boundaries.

Indeed, the shot placement chart showed that 64 of his 97 runs came through the off-side, with more emphasis between extra-cover and third-man where he scored 54.

Barbados had their chances to remove him with a couple of edges and the one that went to hand came late in the evening, when he was 87, was put down by Dave Marshall moving to his left at slip.

It was Marshall who had earlier raised the standard of Barbados catching with a sharp third slip catch from an edge offered by Leon Garrick which was rapidly heading to the ground.

Another slip chance soon came Barbados' way, but Floyd Reifer missed his third chance of the season and was soon placed in the outfield where he made up for his miss with an excellent diving effort at cover that accounted for Brenton Parchment.

Cuff is not exactly the type of batsman fans will leave home to see, but he is an uncomplicated left-hander who steadily accumulates his runs from a low crouch.

The Jamaica Defence Force man followed up his highest first-class score of 65 in the first innings with an equally dogged 39 that was the ideal foil for his more illustrious partner.

Cuff had faced 112 balls when Bryan, back in the attack after a long rest, claimed him lbw with a ball of fullish length. Before walking off, Cuff indicated the ball might have struck the bat.

When Franklyn Rose emerged from the Garfield Sobers Pavilion, there was a feeling he was sent out to increase the scoring rate.

It was therefore a surprise when he blocked the first couple of balls he received from Ian Bradshaw, who resorted to trundling left-arm spin late in the day.

Rose soon skied a catch to mid-on off Bryan and confirmation came that Jamaica had packed up shop when Ryan Cunningham, the second nightwatchman, refused to take singles that would have exposed Gayle to the strike.

Earlier, Gareth Breese completed career-best first-class figures of six for 47 by grabbing Barbados' last three wickets,helped by the same type of careless strokeplay of the previous day.

Roland Holder, batting at No. 8 because of a combination of stomach problems and fever, was in trouble for the hour and ten minutes Barbados batted yesterday. But without the luxury of accomplished partners, he chanced his hand and gave a catch to deep mid-on to be last out for 38.

Before him, Marshall, who survived for 45 minutes after Barbados resumed on 173 for eight, choose to sweep Breese when he came on for his first spell of the day and spooned a top-edged catch to backward square.

© The Barbados Nation