Reigning champions Jamaica dominated their drawn rain-marred second-round WICB regional four-day match at Queen's Park Oval yesterday and are now sole leaders early in the championship race.

They easily secured first-innings points early on the last day and home team Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) thwarted a mild bid by the Jamaicans to clutch an unlikely victory, in a game that lost time all four days to rain.

Carved out lead

Replying to T&T's first-innings total of 202, Jamaica carved out a 153-run lead when they piled up 355 for seven declared and T&T had reached 98 for three when play was called off at 4:53 p.m., after seven of the mandatory overs were completed.

With maximum points from their win over the Leeward Islands in their opening game last weekend, Jamaica picked up another six points from first-innings honours here to climb to 18 points.

They lead Barbados (15) by three, with the Windwards and Combined Campuses and Colleges joint third on 12 points. With first-innings points the priority in the rain-ruined game, the Jamaicans applied themselves well and achieved their objective before lunch.

Resuming on 148 for five and in search of 55 more runs to secure first-innings honours, they needed only 40 minutes after the early 9:30 a.m. start to settle that issue with the experienced Wavell Hinds and Dave Bernard playing positively.

After a 10-minute mid-morning rain stoppage, Hinds and Bernard carved out a 99-run sixth-wicket stand. Their partnership ended at 247 for six when Jaggernauth had Hinds caught by Daren Ganga at first slip for 52, laced with eight fours, plus two sixes - off Ganga's younger brother Sherwin - over long-off.

Added runs

Man of the Match Bernard reached his half-century before lunch and was not out on 58 at the interval with five boundaries. From 277 for six at lunch, they added a further 78 runs before their declaration that gave T&T 20 minutes of batting before the tea break.

Bernard fell for 75 to a fine diving catch at extra-cover by Daren Ganga off medium pacer Lendl Simmons. The batting all-rounder struck seven boundaries and added 89 for the seventh wicket with wicketkeeper/batsman Keith Hibbert, who finished not out on 60 with three fours and two sixes.

Opening bowler Richard Kelly, who gave the home side hope with a three-wicket burst late Sunday.