Tournament front-runners Jamaica were stalled by rain as they tried to build a huge total against struggling Guyana, on a rain-hit opening day of their sixth-round WICB regional four-day match yesterday.
The entire post-lunch session was lost to bad weather and when fading light stopped play at 5:18 p.m. local time at the National Stadium, the Jamaicans were 149 for three with Donovan Pagon on 39 and Wavell Hinds on 31.
Back in action after a fifth-round bye last weekend, the Jamaicans chose to bat first and posted a 44-run opening stand between dropped West Indies openers Brenton Parchment and Xavier Marshall.
In his first outing for Jamaica this season, Marshall was first to go - caught at mid-off for 12 as he attemp-ted a lofted drive against the off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine. Marshall faced 37 balls and struck two boundaries.
Parchment, who has not played for the West Indies since the Australia tour of the Caribbean last year, fell to the leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo before lunch for 44 off 84 balls with seven boundaries. Parchment edged as he pushed forward and was caught behind at 72 for two and the visitors went to lunch at 93 for two.
Play interrupted
Rain prevented a restart until 3:40 p.m. and there was time enough for about an hour and a half of play before bad light interrupted.
Guyana had one more success before the close when Deonarine dislodged captain Tamar Lambert for 19 at 102 for three, but the left-handed Hinds and Pagon held the innings together until the close.
Pagon played patiently throughout the day and struck three boundaries, while Hinds lashed three fours and a pair of sixes off Deonarine - one over long-off and the other over extra-cover.
Deonarine finished the day with tidy figures of two for 25 off 14 overs with five maidens and Bishoo has one for 25 off 12 overs.
Jamaica made two changes to their side that won their last game against Barbados, replacing Danza Hyatt and Bevon Brown with Marshall and leg-spinner Gavin Wallace.
Guyana also have two changes to their side that lost to Barbados last weekend, bringing in Zaheer Mohammed and Homchand Pooran for Veerasammy Permaul (injured) and Chris Barnwell.
Undefeated tournament leaders Jamaica have 42 points from three wins and a draw in four games, while Guyana are bottom of the table with four points after defeat in all four of their games so far.
Barath 163 n.o.
AT PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad:
Trinidad and Tobago, sent to bat by the Leeward Islands, reached 280 for four at the close on the opening day of their sixth-round match at UWI's Sir Frank Worrell Ground yesterday.
Scores: T&T 280 for four (Adrian Barath 163 not out, Daren Ganga 48, Imran Khan 22, Sherwin Ganga 20 not out).
AT CRAB HILL, Barbados: Barbados, responding to Combined Campuses and Colleges' 198, reached 53 for two at the close on the opening day of their sixth round match at the North Stars Ground yesterday.
Scores: CCC 198 (Kurt Wilkinson 44, Chadwick Walton 43, Kavesh Kantasingh 30 not out, Simon Jackson 26; Dwayne Smith 4-45, Kevin Stoute 2-16, Kemar Roach 2-60). Barbados 53 for two.