Miller puts Jamaica in charge
published:
Friday | April 25, 2008
Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
Jamaica wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh (left) brilliantly runs out Trinidad skipper Daren Ganga (not in picture) on the first day of the Carib Beer Challenge Trophy final at Sabina Park yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
b>NIKITA MILLER spun his way to his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket at Sabina Park yesterday, and, in the process, bowled Jamaica into a good position on the opening day of the five-day Carib Beer Challenge Trophy final against Trinidad and Tobago.
Bowling from the George Headley Stand end, the 25-year-old left-arm spinner, playing in his 26th first-class match, was handed the ball at 24 for one after 13 overs and 60 minutes play and, but for the lunch interval, bowled non-stop throughout the T&T innings while picking up five wickets for 29 runs off 18.4 overs.
Retired hurt
Thanks to Miller, who was ably assisted by pacers Jerome Taylor with two for 46 off 14 overs and Daren Powell with one for 34 off 13, Jamaica, winners of the KFC Cup and the Carib Beer Cup, nailed the visitors and two-time defending champions for 121 for nine.
Denesh Ramdin retired hurt for five in the 31st over after the wicketkeeper/batsman hooked at Powell, missed the ball and crashed to the ground.
He was helped off the field and was taken to the hospital after suffering a blow to his left eye.
At stumps on a bright and sunny day, on a testing pitch, and on an embarrassing, parched and almost brown outfield, Jamaica, after losing Danza Hyatt, foolishly run out for three at five for one in the second overs, Marlon Samuels, hooking carelessly at Ravi Rampaul and top-edging a catch to wide mid-on and going for nine at 17 for two in the seventh over; and Wavell Hinds to a brute of a delivery for zero at 29 for three in the 10th over, were going well on 107 for four with Brenton Parchment, 34, and Brendan Nash, 56 not out, sharing a vital fourth-wicket partnership of 65 runs in 80 minutes off 20 overs.
After selecting a bowling combination of two pacers and two spinners with the medium-pace of Nash in support, after winning the toss and surprisingly electing to bowl first and thus to bat last on the dodgy Sabina Park pitch against a team with left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed and off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth in their attack, Jamaica struck early.
Never recovered
And, with Miller from one end, with Taylor, Nash, Powell and Taylor again from the other end, T&T never recovered. In fact, but for veteran pace bowler Mervyn Dillon, T&T may not have made it to a 100.
Joining the action at 96 for eight, Dillon drove Taylor to the long-off boundary, hooked for four and then hooked again, this time for six over backward square-leg before he attempted a big hit against Miller and lobbed a catch to Nash in the covers.
