Bajans on knees

Kingston- A treasured unbeaten Barbados record faces a serious threat in six critical hours here today.

Unconquered in ten regional first-class matches since the end of the 1998 season, the defending Busta Cup champions return to Sabina Park this morning with the knowledge that Jamaica hold a firm grip of the crucial third-round match.

Urged on by more than 3 000 spectators in the George Headley Stand, Jamaica gradually put the match out of Barbados' reach in the first two sessions with defiant batting from the seasoned Robert Samuels and rookie wicket-keeper Matthew Sinclair.

Further pressure was applied in the post-tea period when the hosts grabbed four wickets, including the important scalps of captain Philo Wallace, Sherwin Campbell and Floyd Reifer.

Barbados' winning target of 357 seems a distant figure and an almost impossible one with another 309 still needed from the remaining six wickets.

"It is still cricket we are playing. We have to go out there and do a job," Barbados' manager Tony Howard said.

"If fortune favours us, we might just go out there and get the job done."

Their primary concern is to survive 90 long overs against an attack which is without first innings destroyer Franklyn Rose who damaged his left toe while kicking a chair the previous day.

Even in his absence, Jamaica made a bright start in the quest to complete the tour-nament's first victory.

Courtney Walsh, almost forgotten in the first innings when Rose took six wickets including a hat-trick, started Barbados' worries by knocking over Wallace's off-stump and ended a satisfactory day for Jamaica by similarly bowling night-watchman Dave Marshall.

Marshall was perplexed to hear the timber shattering behind him after he stretched well forward with his bat and bad seemingly close together. He stood in disbelief for a couple of seconds and then walked off to a cacophony of "boos" from partisan spectators.

In between the wickets of Wallace and Marshall, off-spinner Nehemiah Perry removed Campbell and the out-of-form Floyd Reifer with the help of neat catches.

Campbell had just driven Perry down the ground and was on 22 with little bother when his intended drive was edged.

Wicket-keeper Sinclair, who has endured a miserable match behind the stumps, muffed the offering, but the alert Gayle gleefully gobbled up the rebound at slip.

The left-handed Reifer, still without a major score in five innings this season, was then snapped up low down by Jimmy Adams at cover to trigger one of the several roars during the day.

Jamaica built their impregnable position after resuming the third morning on 148 for five with two