Bernard rescues turgid Jamaica

Jamiaca 215 for 6 (Bernard 69*) v Windward Islands
Scorecard

David Bernard's dogged unbeaten 69 dug Jamaica out of trouble on the first day of their Carib Beer Series semi-final against the Windward Islands at the Alpart Sports Club. Bernard came in with Jamaica struggling on 90 for 4 - they had been 88 for 1 - and his fourth fifty of the season helped them to 215 for 6 at the close.

Jamaica were put into bat and lost a creasebound Chris Gayle to the second ball of the day, caught behind by Lindon James off Fernix Thomas. Maurice Kepple (39) and Donovan Pagon (45) added 88 for the second wicket in 42 overs before the mid-afternoon collapse in which three wickets fell in eight minutes.

Kepple fell to a top-edged sweep off Shane Shillingford, in the next over Pagon chased a wide delivery from Deighton Butler and James took a tumbling catch low to his right. Tamar Lambert's dismissal in the following over was unforgivable, lofting Shillingford to Butler at backward square-leg where he had been positioned moments earlier for just that shot.

Although Bernard and Keith Hibbert steadied the ship until tea, Hibbert fell soon after the restart, bottom-edging Butler to give James his third catch of the innings (130 for 5). Carlton Baugh almost immediately had two reprieves, firstly bowled by a Rawl Lewis no-ball, and then dropped at second slip by Darren Sammy.

Bernard, unflustered, kept his end ticking over and was never troubled in his three-hour stay at the wicket. He reached his fifty with a drive off the back foot, the best shot of an innings punctuated with some elegant stokes and immaculate footwork.

Baugh, meanwhile, departed thanks to a poor call from him and a direct hit from Butler (170 for 6) but Bernard and Nehemiah Perry, a surprise inclusion in the side, kept the Windwards at bay until the close.