BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

Omari Banks stroked an unbeaten half century for the Leeward Islands against Jamaica on the opening day of their first-round WICB four-day regional match yesterday.

Choosing to bat, the Leewards reached 235 for six at stumps, with Banks not out on 75 and Wilden Cornwall on 16 at Warner Park.

The tall right-handed Banks, anxious to rekindle his international career, delivered a fighting knock with five fours and a pair of sixes, while leg-spinner Odean Brown led the Jamaica bowling with three wickets.

Positive start

The Leewards got off to a positive start with left-handers Austin Richards Jr and Kieran Powell dismissing the champions' opening attack to compile a fluent half-century opening stand of 78.

They reached their 50-run stand off just 7.2 overs and Richards returned to form with an attacking 49 off 60 balls.

Coming off scores of 0, 0, 0 and five in two practice matches in the past week, Richards blasted five fours and a six, hooking pacer Andrew Richardson over the backward square-leg boundary.

Richards eventually fell to Tamar Lambert, driving the off-spinner to mid-wicket where Odean Brown splendidly took a tumbling catch low to his right.

Bowled out

Powell (31) departed six runs later, bowled by Brown at 84 for two. The Nevisian 18-year-old danced down the pitch at the leg-spinner and missed as he attempted an attacking shot.

The Leewards were heading for lunch in a sound position at 107 for two, but suffered a setback when they lost captain Runako Morton in the last over before the break.

Indecisive against a delivery from Brown that was spinning away from him, Morton edged to wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert and made a disappointing exit for 17.

Resuming after the lunch break at 107 for three, Banks joined Orlando Peters and the pair added 32 for the fourth wicket before Peters was dislodged by leg-spinner Gavin Wallace for 20, edging a googly to first slip.

It was the only success for the Jamaicans in the post-lunch session as the Anguillian pair of Banks and Montcin Hodge held the innings together.

Maximum hits

Banks attained his half century moments before the tea break off 86 balls in 97 minutes with four fours and two sixes. His maximum hits came off Lambert, a ferocious, straight shot and Wallace, a short ball swung over backward square.

Banks, out of the West Indies set-up since the summer of 2005, had more of a struggle for runs in the last session during which he gathered only 25.

He lost his partner Hodge (11) caught behind off Richardson soon after the tea break at 184 for five and it became 211 for six when young wicketkeeper batsman Devon Thomas (15) gave a return catch to Brown.

Banks and the veteran Cornwall stayed together until the end and Banks will be chasing his second first-class hundred when play resumes today. Brown recorded solid figures of three for 63 off 31 overs with eight maidens, while Wallace (1-27), Lambert (1-35), and Richardson (1-40) claimed the other wickets.

Champions Jamaica omitted West Indies Under-19 players Jason Dawes and Horace Miller from their side, handing a Jamaica debut to Wallace; and the Leewards left out Tonito Willett and Tariq Prince.