Lambert leads strong Jamaica batting against Guyanese

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica’s captain Tamar Lambert struck 90 and led a resolute batting effort by the champions against Guyana on yesterday’s opening day of their 13th round WICB Regional Four-day match.

Already assured of the George Headley/Everton Weekes Trophy with an unbeatable 94 points, the Jamaicans were sent in at Jarrett Park and reached a sturdy 294 for four at stumps in the fixture featuring the standings’ top team against the bottom-placed team.

Lambert fell 10 short of a second hundred this season, but Danza Hyatt and Carlton Baugh stroked contrasting half-centuries to beef up the Jamaicans’ innings.

Baugh (50) and David Bernard (32) were not out at the close.

The home side scored steadily in the morning session although they lost Brenton Parchment (18) and Donovan Pagon (10) before going to the break at 94 for two.

Parchment and Hyatt staged an opening stand of 46 before Parchment was caught at point – off a thick outside edge – driving at pacer Chris Barnwell.

Pagon fell at 66 for two, stumped by Derwin Christian as he pushed forward to the left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (1-58).

The Jamaicans consolidated after lunch and were on the verge of batting out the entire session without a blemish when Hyatt fell off the last ball before tea to a splendid catch at cover by Leon Johnson off Barnwell. He executed a fierce cover drive but Johnson clutched a superb catch, diving to his right.

Hyatt made a watchful 67 off 175 balls in 239 minutes, hitting eight boundaries.

Lambert, who struck 143 against Barbados in the 10th round, scored freely in the post-lunch period and sped to fifty off 76 balls with nine fours and a six off Steven Jacobs over long-off.

From a tea-time position of 195 for three, the Jamaicans bolstered their position with solid last session batting although they lost Lambert at 227 for four.

Lambert was caught behind off a thin edge pushing forward at Bishoo (1-57) to be out for the second time in the 90s this season.

The burly skipper, who had scored 92 against the Windwards in the seventh round, batted for 206 minutes, faced 153 balls and belted 15 fours and one six.

The steady Bernard and attacking Baugh played out the remainder of the day without any further glitches.

The diminutive Baugh smashed an even fifty off 54 balls with eight boundaries and dominated a 67-run stand with Bernard that took the Jamaicans to the close at 5:14 pm local time.

Barnwell finished the day as Guyana’s leading bowler with two for 57 off 18 overs.

Jamaica made two changes to their side that lost to the Windward Islands last weekend, bringing in Daren Powell and Parchment for Bevon Brown and Wavell Hinds, who was unavailable because of West Indies Players Association (WIPA) duties.

Guyana, without a win so far this season, are using the same side that drew with Trinidad and Tobago last weekend.