End Of Barbados' Busta Double Hopes

Barbados dreams of completing a unique double were shattered yesterday because of their inability to cope with uncomplicated off-spin bowling from Jamaica.

The cock-a-hoop Jamaicans, celebrating every dismissal with a birdlike dance in the way South American footballers celebrate goals, rolled over Barbados to such an extent that they gained a huge first innings lead of 325.

The dethroned Cup champions chose not to enforce the follow-on and by the close extended their lead to 403. There is no way they can be now denied a place in the Busta International Shield final.

Semifinal matches at whatever level are usually competitive, but this encounter has been vastly one-sided since Friday's opening day, and yesterday was no different.

On the evidence of what was presented, it's hard to believe that the Barbados team were crowned Busta Cup champions a week ago.

For the first 11 hours of the match, they toiled in conceding the highest total of the season - 496.

In spite of losing Philo Wallace for a third-ball duck, they responded solidly on the second afternoon to reach 47 for one, but were made to look like virtual novices when they batted yesterday in succumbing for their lowest total of the season.

They were all out for 171 eight minutes past the scheduled tea interval and once more it was the off-breaks of Gareth Breese and Nehemiah Perry that undermined the batting.

Breese and Perry shared nine wickets when Jamaica swept to first innings points in their Cup match here last month and this time they combined for six dismissals, after Barbados had started the day positively.

Captain Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith scored at almost a run-aminute.

That encouragement, however, was soon transformed into disappointment following indecision that led to the run-out of Campbell for the second successive match.

Griffith was certain there was a single after he played a ball to cover, but Campbell hesitated. Even though Leon Garrick fumbled, there was still enough time for Garrick to relay the ball to wicket-keeper Keith Hibbert, who completed the run-out.

Breese, who hardly turned the ball, was responsible for the first two in the space of three balls.

Floyd Reifer, coming off a match-winning unbeaten 64 against Trinidad and Tobago, was batting carefully for more than an hour when he attempted a powerful drive that was accepted by the bowler.

Ryan Hinds, known for his level-headedness, followed with an uncharacteristic loose drive which peeled off the outside edge. The Jamaicans almost made a muff of the slip catch, but Chris Gayle held onto it after Marlon Samuels juggled the ball.

Jamaica were so much in control that captain Jimmy Adams could afford the luxury of surrounding Roland Holder with four close-in fielders just before lunch.

Adams even chose to bring himself on for an over of left-arm spin just before lunch, and it was enough time for him to claim the wicket of Griffith.

The opener struck a firm drive but the Jamaican captain was equal to the task, diving and coming up with a superb left-handed catch.

Griffith's 47 off 166 balls in just over three hours' batting was the highest score in the Barbados innings, in which Campbell's 36 was the only contribution of more than 25.

After lunch, taken at 125 for five, Breese removed Courtney Browne, an LBW victim on the back foot to a flighted ball.

Perry then got into the act, taking three of the last four wickets. Overall, Barbados' lost nine wickets fell for 91.

Roland Holder, another of the heroes against Trinidad and Tobago, could not repeat his commanding knock of last Monday and casually provided a catch to mid-wicket after an hour's batting in which he made 12.

There were a couple of lower-order runs from Ian Bradshaw and Hendy Bryan, but hardly anyone expected a grand fightback.

Bryan hit four boundaries but fell attempting another as Franklyn Rose ended his cameo with a stupendous, low running catch at deep mid-on.