Richards and Morton put Leewards on top

A maiden hundred from Austin Richards and an unbeaten 73 from Runako Morton put Leewards Islands in a healthy position on a rain-hit opening day against Windwards Islands at St Maarten. Electing to bat, Leewards closed on 213 for 1 thanks to the 212-run second-wicket stand between Richards and Morton.

Rain delayed the start for just over an over, and when play began Leewards lost Codville Rogers leg before to Deighton Butler's left-arm pace in the third ball of the innings. Richards and Morton denied the Windwards any further breakthrough and took their side to 62 for 1 at lunch and quickened the scoring rate after the interval.

The rain returned to hold up play for 35 minutes in the second session, but it had little effect on the batsmen. Dropped by captain Rawl Lewis on 54, Richards moved to 96 with 15 boundaries before rain forced everyone off the field shortly before tea. The players resumed action later, and Richards soon pulled Kenroy Peters for four to reach three figures. Morton has so far faced 161 balls and hit six fours and a six.

Despite a second first-class hundred from opener Brenton Parchment, Jamaica struggled on the first day of their final-round Carib Beer match against Trinidad & Tobago at St Elizabeth. Asked to bat first, Jamaica stumbled to 254 in the face of a disciplined bowling attack led by offspinner Amit Jaggernauth, left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed and fast bowler Ravi Rampaul.

Parchment, 24, was the mainstay of the innings with a 195-ball 111, laced with ten fours and a pair of sixes, before he was ninth man out. With Lorenzo Ingram (29) he added 64 before Jaggernauth removed the other opener in the over before lunch, and a further 75 for the third wicket with Wavell Hinds, his captain, whose contribution was 38 from 58 balls.

Hinds became Jaggernauth's third victim when he chipped to mid-on at 142 for 2, and from here on T&T swung matters their way. Tamar Lambert (2), David Bernard (11) and Carlton Baugh (1) all fell cheaply as Mohammed and Rampaul joined the party. Jaggernauth claimed 4 for 99 to sustain his excellent form, Mohammed picked up 3 for 51 and Rampaul 3 for 62.

Jamaica struck back just before stumps, however, when Jermaine Lawson bowled Lendl Simmons for 8 to leave T&T at 10 for 1.

Three late wickets from Ryan Hinds, the left-arm spinner and captain of Barbados, caused a Guyana collapse on day one of their match at Bourda. Well placed at 276 for 5, Hinds's strikes reduced Guyana to 285, with the last five wickets falling for just nine runs.

Guyana were boosted by a 98-run third-wicket partnership between Sewnarine Chattergoon (68) and Assad Fudadin (49), and a 106-run stand for the fifth wicket between wicketkeeper Derwin Christian (54) and Azeemul Haniff (46), in his first season for Guyana since 2003. Ramnaresh Sarwan, the captain, was forced to retire on 18 when he was struck on the right thumb by Fidel Edwards.

Hinds finished with 3 for 67, Edwards claimed three for 60 and Tino Best 2 for 55.