Richard Bryan, Freelance Reporter

Jamaica's 20/20 squad defeated a St Elizabeth Technical XI by 16 runs in an exciting fund-raising game hosted in Santa Cruz on Sunday.

Jamaica, batting first on a pitch made slower because of rain the previous day, mined 135 for six with the only significant contributions coming from Danza Hyatt (47) and David Bernard Jr. (35). STETHS XI scored 119 mainly through the efforts of Kamal Dennis (34 n.o.) and Mel Wint (26 n.o.). They stayed in the hunt until the 16th over, before being strangled to defeat by excellent bowling at the death by Bernard (two for 17 off four overs).

Nothwithstanding the nature of the pitch which called for discipline and good shot selection, the Jamaican batting was disappointing and but for a for a 44-run partnership between Hyatt and Bernard, could have been embarrassed. Xavier Marshall, who opened with Hyatt was bowled by West Indies pacer Darren Powell for one, while captain Tamar Lambert also went cheaply, to Nikita Miller. Wavell Hinds (5) tried to muscle his way unsuccessfully against the spinners and after a few ugly swings and slashes, heaved one down the throat of Donavon Sinclair at long-on off the bowling of Miller, who returned good figures of two for 12 off his quota of four overs.

Hyatt was exemplary, and showed the form that allowed him to top score for Jamaica in the 20/20 win over The Bahamas last week. He delighted the gathering early with two attractive shots, flashing Dennis off his hip for four before lofting the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) pacer over his head for another boundary.

Easy catch

Bernard departed at 121 for six - propping an easy catch off Shawn Findlay to Miller at midwicket, but the national team offered little after that as Brendan Nash was bowled by Findlay off the last ball of the innings for a laboured seven, while Andre McCarthy was left not out on six.

The STETHS team began poorly with Zeniffe Fowler going for a duck, top-edging an attempted hook off Jermaine Lawson. Ebanks then departed for four at nine runs for two, Findlay for 12 at 32 for three and Sinclair lbw to Bernard for 11 at 42 for four. Nash then accounted for Howard Powell for two at 45 for five and promoted Darren Powell for seven at 57 for six in over no. 11.