Well played Jamaica! (19 January 1999)

19 January 1999

Well played Jamaica!

Tony Becca

Jamaica's victory over the Leeward Islands in their opening match of the Busta Cup regional four-day cricket tournament has left the players confident that they are on the way to a successful season.

After losing the toss and bowling first, Jamaica dominated the game from start to finish and deserve to be happy with their performance - providing they appreciate the fact that although they were without top bowlers Courtney Walsh and Franklyn Rose, the Leeward Islands were without, not only fast bowler Curtly Ambrose, but with Stuart Williams, Keith Arthurton and Ridley Jacobs absent, also three of their top four batsmen.

Regardless of the quality of the opposition's batting, the Jamaican bowlers, with the exception of right-arm legspinner Brian Murphy whose control was untidy, did well, with offspinner Nehemiah Perry choking the batsmen with his accuracy and variation, medium-pacer Laurie Williams getting the ball to swing away from the bat, and newcomer Dwight Mais producing two impressive opening spells with the new ball.

The batsmen, but for Robert Samuels who must still be haunted by the memory of his dismissal, also did well. Leon Garrick batted sensibly, Shane Ford, coming in as nightwatchman, did his job admirably, James Adams, now playing the ball through midwicket rather than around his front pad while attempting to go behind square-leg, timed the ball nicely the longer he batted, Chris Gayle, after surviving a chance, played some delightful strokes, and Wavell Hinds, the batsman of the match, was simply brilliant.

Known for his dashing but sometimes reckless strokeplay, Hinds batted with maturity. He played each ball on merit, his stroke selection was almost perfect, and when he got to the stage where the ball was leaving his bat sweetly, he reeled off some wonderful strokes.

Apart from Murphy's bowling, Samuels' attempted pull which ended up on his legstump, and at times the fielding, with Tony Powell stroking the ball confidently before he was leg before wicket, the only disappointments were Ford's short-comings against Murphy's googly, and the careless runouts of Williams and Perry.

It is still a long way to go in a tournament which will see the top four teams contesting the semi-finals and the two winners meeting in the final.

Jamaica, however, looking good and business-like in the field with all the players in the Jamaica cap and exuding confidence, have started well. Coach Robert Haynes must be pleased, not only with the result, but also with the approach of the players - especially that of the batsmen on a pitch which, despite the cracks, played well throughout the match.

For the Leeward Islands, the big disappointment was the dismissal of Dave Joseph in the second innings who, after batting so well, after seeing umpire Steve Bucknor checking his light metre more than once, and with four overs to go to the end of the day's play and his team in trouble, cut at Murphy's wayward legspin a couple of times, and despite missing one each occasion, drove at a wide delivery and edged a catch to slip.

With Dave Joseph hardly in the reckoning for a place in the West Indies team, the disappointment for West Indies cricket was the batting of young Sylvester Joseph.

Considered one for the future, Joseph appeared out of his depth technically and temperamentally - especially in the second innings when he rocked onto his backfoot and steered a short, harmless delivery from Williams straight to Powell at second slip.

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