Barbados failed to capitalise on a century stand between Shane Dowrich and Ashley Nurse, collapsing to 245 all out off 77.3 overs after winning the toss on the opening day of their Regional Four Day semi-final clash with Jamaica at Kensington Oval yesterday.
In 12 overs before the close Jamaica batted enterprisingly to reach 52 for one.Â
Barbados wasted an ideal opportunity for a second batting point when the last four wickets tumbled for just ten runs, leaving wicketkeeper/
batsman Shane Dowrich unbeaten on 69 following a stand of 101 for the seventh wicket with Ashley Nurse.Â
The pair came together during an action-packed mid-afternoon session dominated by Jamaica and seemed to be taking Barbados towards a more formidable total when Nurse helplessly watched a ball from left-arm pacer Sheldon Cotterell roll off his body onto his stumps.
Nurse was bowled for 45, made off 74 balls in 89 minutes, having struck six boundaries. His partnership with the diminutive Dowrich lifted Barbados from the perils of 134 for six following a promising lunch-time position of 85 for two.
Sulieman Benn spanked two boundaries off medium pacer Dave Bernard Jr. to take Barbados within sight of 250 and a second batting point but in the same over he drove a simple catch to Jamaica captain Tamar Lambert.
Fidel Edwards drove optimistically at his first delivery and in the following over gave a catch to Bernard at extra cover.
Last man Miguel Cummins slipped and broke his wicket first ball to Cotterell as the last three wickets fell for one run.
Dowrich’s unbeaten half-century was made off 119 balls in 153 minutes with ten fours.
In the opening session Barbados openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Omar Phillips withstood the early pressure from Jerome Taylor and Cotterell (three for 28) but Bernard struck in his first over, trapping Brathwaite lbw to leave Barbados on 29 for one.
Phillips and Shai Hope consolidated effectively in a second-wicket partnership of 53.
Phillips, who seemed keen to accelerate the score as lunch approached, swept a delivery from leg-spinner Damion Jacobs (three for 58) straight to Jermaine Blackwood at short backward square for 33, made off 80 balls in 115 minutes with three fours.
 Shortly after the lunch break Hope, batting at the crucial No. 3 position in the absence of the injured Kirk Edwards, was run out by a direct throw from Blackwood at mid-on, attempting a risky single.
A stunning catch by Nkrumah Bonner at forward short-leg removed Jonathan Carter who swept Jacobs hard into the body of Bonner who miraculously held on to the catch before leaving the field temporarily to receive attention.
Kevin Stoute, who has been in wretched form this season, defended stoutly for close to an hour before being adjudged lbw by umpire Joel Wilson playing forward to Jacobs.
When Carlos Brathwaite was run out by a direct throw to the non-striker’s end from Andre McCarthy at extra cover, Barbados had lost four wickets for 49 runs in the afternoon session and had slumped to 134 for six.
Dowrich and Nurse then came to the rescue, displaying controlled aggression in an effective counter-attack that produced a partnership of 101 in just under 25 overs. Dowrich reached his 50 in 100 minutes off 90 balls with seven fours.
The advantage gained by the seventh-wicket pair was quickly eroded as the Barbados lower order lost the plot towards the end with the innings closing an hour after the tea break which was taken at 186 for six.
Bonner and John Campbell got the visitors off to a blazing start but off spinner Ashley Nurse removed Bonner lbw to take his tally of wickets for the season to 31.
