Sport

Under-19s have it all to do

kingstown, st vincent, cmc

THE REMARKABLE ALL-round efforts of wicketkeeper/batsman Jabbar Niles and fast bowling all rounder Javon Searles yesterday put Barbados in a winning position against previously unbeaten Jamaica in their TCL Group Under-19 match at the Arnos Vale Ground.

When play resumes on today's final day, title-holders Jamaica will be fighting to avoid defeat and losing the chance to get to the final, as they are 27 runs in arrears with only six second-innings wickets standing.

Niles and Searles came together for Barbados on 80 for six after losing overnight batsmen Nicolai Parris (14) without addition to their overnight score.

Pivotal runs

Niles (59) and Searles (48) compiled a pivotal seventh-wicket partnership of 110, which gave Barbados the impetus they badly needed and allowed them to reply to Jamaica's flimsy first innings 110 all out, with a elatively solid 216.

When Niles was caught and bowled by off spinner Andre McCarthy, he had batted for 229 minutes with one six and one four to his credit.

Along the way, he survived two chances to the wicketkeeper, but he remained undaunted.

Searles, naturally aggressive, batted sensibly in a knock that lasted 165 minutes and included one four.

Leg-spinner Alton Beckford, varying his flight well, was the most successful bowler for Jamaica with six for 43 off 28.4 overs.

Faced with a deficit of 106 runs, the Jamaicans again started disastrously and yet again the combination of Niles and Searles came into play.

First Searles had opener Zeniffe Fowler neatly taken behind by Niles for zero and later in the evening he returned to grab the crucial wicket of captain Jamie Trenchfield, also caught by Niles for 26.

In the interim, left-arm spinner Steve Pinder also showed his worth, accounting for the wickets of opener Damien Ebanks for 17 and Nickoy Samuels, again caught behind by the jubilant Niles for nine.

At the close, Jamaica were facing a very steep uphill battle and once the weather holds, it will take exemplary middle and lower order batting by them to deny Barbados victory.