Jamaica v Trinidad & Tobago, Carib Beer Challenge final, 1st day

Miller bowls Jamaica in front

Cricinfo staff

April 24, 2008

Jamaica 107 for 4 (Nash 56*) trail Trinidad & Tobago 121 (Miller 5-29) by 14 runs
Scorecard

Nikita Miller put Jamaica in the box seat on the first day of the Carib Beer Challenge final against Trinidad & Tobago at Sabina Park. Miller took a career-best 5 for 29 as T&T, put in to bat, were bowled out for 121. Jamaica were 107 for 4 when bad light brought an early close.

It could have been worse for T&T who at one stage were 69 for 7 before a rearguard led by Dave Mohammed. None of their top order got to grips with the variable pace and bounce from the pitch and were guilty of gifting their wickets with reckless strokes.

Jerome Taylor started the slide when he bowled Adrian Barath for 9 and then Darren Bravo, the brother of Dwayne, was caught at midwicket for 12. Lendl Simmons was caught at short leg off Miller for 0, and Daren Ganga was run out for 18 after indecision between him and Kieron Pollard. Three wickets fell for four runs in 17 balls to leave T&T 43 for 4.

Pollard followed soon after lunch and T&T's problems grew when Denesh Ramdin was forced to retire hurt after Powell struck him on the left cheek. Miller then held a return catch from Richard Kelly and Ravi Rampaul caught at silly point for 0. Mohammed helped steer the score past the hundred but it was woefully below par.

Jamaica had their own problems as they slipped to 29 for 3, the rot starting with the run-out of Danza Hyatt in the second over. Marlon Samuels miscued a hook to mid-on and then Wavell Hinds fended a lifter from Mervyn Dillon to gully.

But Brendan Nash, who finished on 56, and opener Brenton Parchment added 65 for the fourth wicket to put Jamaica in charge by the end of the day, even though they lost Parchment, caught at short leg for 34 playing defensively forward to a well-flighted delivery, shortly before the close.

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