Celebration time for Jamaica

Discovery Bay: Courtney Walsh's Jamaica celebrated a treasured regional one-day title for the first time in eight years; but in keeping with the confusion that has repeatedly hampered the tournament in the last two years, the Red Stripe Bowl final produced an unsatisfactory conclusion here yesterday.

From the moment umpires Steve Bucknor and Billy Doctrove decided the rapidly-fading light was inadequate to continue at 4:46 p.m., scores of frenzied hometown supporters invaded the field.

By then, the result was still to be determined, but it was confirmed minutes later that Jamaica had won the match against the Leeward Islands by 10 runs under the contentious Duckworth-Lewis calculation.

The highly competitive match, played out before a packed crowd of about 5 000 at the Kaiser Sports Club, appeared to be in the balance with Jamaica, in pursuit of 229 from the full quota of 50 overs, on 177 for six from 36 overs.

When the calculator was pressed into action, it was decided that the hosts were ahead of their requirementalthough skipper Walsh admitted afterwards he was in the dark at one stage.

"It was a bit confusing at first. I did not get the target score at the outset, but as soon as 25 overs were finished, they started to produce it," Walsh said.

"It was a situation where it should have been pointed out beforehand. I'm sure next year they will get it right."

In the circumstances ,with Jamaica needing another 52 runs from 14 overs with four wickets in hand, any fielding side would have felt they had a chance, but Leewards manager Carlisle Powell graciously accepted defeat.

"Jamaica played the game very well and I think they played the `light' card very well as well," he said while agreeing that visibility was too poor to continue.

"If I were on the other side I would say: `we would have won.' Unfortunately, the game was not completed in its entirety and we can only blame ourselves for giving up a couple of big overs."

The weather was a complete contrast for both phases of the match. It was a typically, hot Caribbean day when the Leeewards, on the strength of Sylvester Joseph's impressive unbeaten century off 132 balls and captain Stuart Williams equally stroke-filled 65 off 90 balls, posted their challenging total.

By the time Jamaica began their reply, it was completely overcast and there was a big threat of a massive downpour. The clouds on the north coast, however, never burst.

With uncertainty over the weather, Chris Gayle and Gareth Breese briskly launched the innings but after they and Wavell Hinds were plucked out by stupendous catches the first to Carl Tuckett and the other two to Runako Morton, the Leewards regained the advantage at 40 for three after ten overs.

Ricardo Powell arrived to hoist Goldwyn Prince for a six over long-off that ensured every single spectator would receive a complimentary Red Stripe drink from the sponsors.

Powell punched 28 off 38 balls before hitting a catch to long-off.

By then Robert Samuels was well set and was the one who carried Jamaica to their victory with an unbeaten 77 that included nine fours and a six off 77 balls.

Along the way, the former West Indies opener who came in at No. 4, lost Laurie Williams and Matthew Sinclair, but Jamaica were always ahead.

After the post-match ceremony, Walsh was a happy man on his last appearance as Jamaica captain.

"It is a very, very proud moment for me. I'm very happy for the team," he said.

"The guys played extremely well throughout the competition. I'm just happy that it has happened to me as captain. It could be my last one-day tournament for Jamaica."

The Leewards were contained in the early stages against the accurate stuff from Franklyn Rose and Courtney Walsh, but once they came off after 12 overs runs flowed freely.

Joseph, later named the Final Four's Most Valuable Player, and Williams were equally at home against Laurie Williams' medium-pace or the spin of Brian Murphy and Nehemiah Perry and the Leewards were able to rattle up exactly 100 runs between the 11th and 30th overs.

By then, they had reached 121 for one, but lost momentum badly after Stuart Williams holed out to long-off off Murphy.

Keith Arthurton was kept quiet for 25 balls and Dave Joseph and Ridley Jacobs, two potential big-hitters, were run out at a time when the Leewards were looking to accelerate.

To his credit, Chris Gayle delivered mean off-spin at the death and managed to keep Carl Tuckett scoreless for five successive balls in the 48th over.

To boost the total, the Leewards required Hamesh Anthony's two sixes over long-on in the penultimate over off Laurie Williams and Joseph's final flurry that brought him to the only century in the final four.

Joseph would have been concerned that he did not face a ball in the two overs preceding the last of the innings and he needed 12 runs to reach the treasured landmark when Walsh came back for the final over.

Walsh was immediately pulled through mid-wicket for four and Joseph then bravely walked across his stumps and tickled the experienced fast bowler down to fine-leg for another boundary before scampering two sets of twos.

Had Walsh gathered a return from long-off and broken the stumps with Anthony well short of his ground from the final ball, Joseph would have been denied a hundred.

Once he realised Walsh's blunder, he gleefully raised his arms to signal his first senior regional 100 and his third successive score over 50 in the competition.

It was an innings that was decorated with authentic strokes, his seven fours coming mainly by lifting the bowlers over the in-field, and his three sixes coming from over long-on and deep backward square-leg, the latter clearing the boundary by a long way.