KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Powerhouses Jamaica were staring at a possible early exit from the WICB Regional One-Day Championship after rain forced a no-result in their second Group A game against Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.
Chasing 226 for victory at Sabina Park before a crowd estimated at nearly 3 000, Jamaica were twice stalled by rain before umpires finally called it quits, with the hosts on 45 for two after 10.4 overs.
Both teams finished with two points as a result, giving Jamaica their first points of the tournament following their opening loss to Windward Islands, while T&T moved to six.
Jamaica will need to win comprehensively in their final game against Combined Campuses and Colleges tomorrow, in order to give themselves a chance of reaching the final four.
Winning the toss and choosing to bat first, T&T wasted a decent start and were forced to battle back to reach 225 all out off 49.5 overs. Denesh Ramdin stroked an unbeaten, run-a-ball 43 while Dwayne Bravo also hit 43 from 59 balls, after T&T found themselves floundering at 94 for four in the 26th over.
Adrian Barath hit 32 from 48 balls with three fours while Lendl Simmons scored 26 from 49 balls with two fours and a six, in an opening stand of 52.
However, the title-holders lost four wickets for 42 runs in the space of 70 balls before Bravo and Kieron Pollard added 53 from 60 balls for the fifth wicket.
The right-handed Pollard made a run-a-ball 28 before falling hit wicket at the end of the 36th over, and Bravo followed him two overs later, caught at slip off left-arm spinner Nikita Miller (2-32) after striking four fours and a six.
Ramdin, who counted three fours and a six, then anchored the innings with a mature knock. All-rounder Dave Bernard (3-43) and left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie (3-49) took three wickets apiece while leg-spinner Odean Brown claimed two for 51. Jamaica started badly when they lost Xavier Marshall without scoring with the total on one in the first over and following a break for rain at 17 for one in the fifth over, also quickly lost captain Chris Gayle for seven at 28 for two in the sixth over.
Danza Hyatt was looking threatening on 27 from 34 balls when the rains came and ended the game prematurely.
