Windwards hold nerve to defeat Jamaica

Windward Islands scripted a dramatic come-from-behind win over champions Jamaica at the Trelawny Stadium. Batsmen found it tough going right through the match and it got worse when Jamaica, who led by seven on first innings, were dismissed for 107 the second time around. Chasing 115, Windwards managed to scramble to a three-wicket victory. Earlier, resuming on 8 for 1, the Jamaicans were soon reduced to 17 for 5 on the third morning. Nelon Pascal struck first, bowling Danza Hyatt for 7, while Deighton Butler sent back night-watchman Andrew Richardson, Tamar Lambert and Wavell Hinds. David Bernard stubbornly resisted with a 61-ball 50 and put on 58 with Brendan Nash but the partnership ended just before lunch when Nash handed a return catch to Shane Shillingford. Keon Peters then sliced through the lower order as Jamaica failed to add substantially to their lunchtime score of 80 for 6. Butler, Shillingford and Peters ended with three wickets apiece. Windwards lost openers Miles Bascombe and Devon Smith before tea during the chase but had edged close, entering the last session at 69 for 2. But they endured another nervy period as they lost a flurry of wickets. Odean Brown reduced them to 96 for 5, picking up the key wicket of Andre Fletcher who top-scored with 43, including six fours and a six. Nash struck a double-blow to remove Liam Sebastien and Butler, but captain Rawl Lewis and Shillingford saw the visitors home.

Spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Davindra Bishoo shared seven wickets among them to hand Guyana first-innings points against Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) at the Queen's Park Oval. Permaul bagged 4 for 54 and Bishoo picked up 3 for 48, to restrict the hosts to 259 in reply to Guyana's 282. Captain Daren Ganga stroked a stylish half-century but the middle and lower-order batting failed to click. Continuing from their overnight score of 53 for 1, Barath was first to be dismissed off Brandon Bess for 38. The in-form Darren Bravo then joined Ganga and added 63 before Permaul had Bravo caught at point by Sewnarine Chattergoon. Sherwin Ganga put on a useful 73-run fifth wicket partnership with his brother Daren, but Permaul struck again, dismissing Sherwin for 36. Daren, who looked on course for his 21st first-class century, holed out to Bess off Permaul soon afterwards as the hosts stuttered. He ended up with 92 off 262 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes. The remaining batsmen failed to offer resistance as Bishoo accounted for Gibran Mohammed, Rayad Emrit and debutant Navin Stewart as T&T folded disappointingly. Guyana were zero without loss at stumps.

Runako Morton stroked a brilliant 173 as Leeward Islands responded strongly to Combined Colleges & Colleges' (CCC's) first-innings total of 519 at Grove Park. Resuming on 75 for 1, Leewards had a strong morning session, adding 91 runs and losing Montcin Hodge for a marathon 64, comprising six boundaries. Having reached his fifty before lunch, Morton marched to a hundred in the afternoon session as Leewards continued to dominate the CCC bowling. Morton played a diligent innings and by the end of the day had struck 19 boundaries and two sixes; he was looking good for a double-century. Anderson Sealy was the most successful bowler for CCC with 3 for 119.

"This was a more patient innings than last week against Barbados," Morton told CMC Sport Sunday evening. "To be honest, the bowlers didn't make it easy for us to score and we had to work hard for these runs."