KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Estranged West Indies captain Chris Gayle cracked consecutive hundreds this week in Jamaica’s latest trial matches for the regional limited overs championship starting later this month in Guyana.
In the last two trial matches, Gayle lashed attacking hundreds but endured contrasting results with his team against Brenton Parchment’s XI at Kensington Park.
Gayle, 30, smashed an awesome 155 off just 79 balls before retiring on Tuesday in a six-wicket victory for his side and struck an undefeated 127 on Wednesday but Parchment’s XI won that fixture by seven wickets.
Batting first on Tuesday, Parchment’s XI tallied 303 for five off their 50 overs with Xavier Marshall getting a top score of 73 off 47 balls, backed up by Shawn Findlay (60), John-Ross Campbell (66) and Horace Miller (42).
Gayle’s XI replied with 307 for four for the easy win.
The left-handed Gayle, who has been out of international cricket – along with other top flight players — for the past three months because of a contract dispute between the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), was rampant in his innings.
He thumped Parchment XI’s bowling for 13 fours and three sixes and shared in a massive 182-run opening stand with Zeniffe Fowler (97).
Danza Hyatt scored a fluent 37 not out off 23 balls as Gayle’s side completed the victory.
Gayle top-scored again Wednesday when his side compiled 285 for nine off their 50 overs.
He cracked 11 fours and six sixes in his 127 not out and fast bowler Andre Russell contributed 33 near the end against Parchment (3-39) and Odean Brown (2-44).
Parchment’s side surged to victory when Shawn Findlay belted 105 and Carlton Baugh 86 not out, leading them to 286 for three.
At the October 8 to November 5 West Indies limited overs competition in Guyana, Jamaica will be going for their fifth regional cricket title this year having won the four-day George Headley/Everton Weekes Trophy, the CLICO Under-15 title and the U19 double – three-day and one-day titles – at home in August.
