Triple champs Lucas (30 August 1999)

30 August 1999

Triple champs Lucas

Gayle

Lucas Emerged triple champions for the 1999 cricket season when they took first innings points from Middlesex in their two-day final round Jamaica County Cricket Championships match which ended in a tame draw at Nelson Oval yesterday.

By virtue of that drawn match, Lucas ended the final round with 16 points in a championship where both teams went into that crucial round as joint leaders. Middlesex ended the tournament on 14 points.

Scores: Lucas 311; Middlesex 169 and 188 for five after they were forced to follow-on.

Lucas put themselves in a strong position to lift their third title from the first day on Saturday courtesy of a century (112) from Delroy Morgan which laid the foundation; and that knock was supported by the slow bowlers, in both innings, who put Middlesex against the ropes from early, a situation which they failed to get out of.

From an overnight score of 28 for two, Middlesex failed to recover as the batsmen were kept guessing by the spin of all rounder Christopher Gayle and Morgan who picked up six wickets between them. Gayle took four wickets including that of top scorer Frederick Redwood, who held his ground to score a solid 66 before he was bowled.

Middlesex failed to pick themselves up and were forced to followon 142 runs in arrears.

Solid batting from opener Leon Garrick, Matthew Sinclair and Maurice Clarke wiped off the arrears quickly but by that time Middlesex's fight for supremacy was already lost.

Garrick, who failed to get among the runs in the first innings, hit a quick 67 off 87 balls before he was caught at mid on. Garrick, caught by Morgan off Gayle, was fourth man to go at 128.

The hard hitting Matthew Sinclair (46), who was calm during the dominance of Garrick, took on the slow bowlers and put on a 43- run partnership with Maurice Clarke (19).

When the umpires decided to call it a day after rain had intervened Sinclair was not out on 46 and Ian McLeod undefeated on three.

Chris Gayle, followed up his first innings four for 50, with two for 59.

Lucas had earlier won the Senior Cup and Rothmans Championship titles.

Meanwhile, in a match of academic interest at Sabina Park, Cornwall got maximum points from Surrey. Scores: Cornwall 154 for nine declared (Carl Wright 48) and 91 for two; Surrey 89 (Cassium Burton 5-86, Ainsley Goss 4-40) and 158 (Kevin Murray 36).

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)