Trelawny stadium was the site of yesterday's Twenty20 match against Jamaica, and a fine job they've made of it. Would that Ireland had such a facility. OK, the outfield wasn't brilliant, but very few are in the tropics. The track could have been better, but it wasn't dangerous.

Tamar Lambert again won the toss and again inserted Ireland. The first over was quiet, but in the second Paul Stirling whacked a big six to long on which seemed to knock the stuffing out of Andre Russell. In the third over Niall O'Brien gave himself room, too much of it, and was bowled for 8.

After four overs, Stirling and Andre Botha had taken the score to 41 with some nice shots. Then off spinner Bevan Brown had Stirling caught for 18. Left-armer Santokie had taken over from Russell and bowled Botha for 10. In the same over he bowled Cusack for 1 to make the score 49-4 off 6.

With the Power Play over, Lambert spread the field and made Gary Wilson and William Porterfield work very hard for their runs. Leg spinner Oddie Brown (I called him Devon on Wednesday!) was particularly difficult to hit. In the twelfth over Hyatt bowled Gary Wilson for 15 and in the next over Porterfield was stumped off Oddie Brown for 14.

At 82-6 with six overs left, it was important to consolidate, which Andrew White and Trent Johnston duly did. After White had succeeded with one "Dilshan" and failed with another, he poked a catch to Lambert off Bevan Brown to be out for 9 with the score on 94 in the seventeenth over.

Johnston found the boundary then swished at a leg-side delivery from Bevan Brown, the first ball of the nineteenth over. It hit him high on the thigh and deflected to Carlton Baugh, who appealed - for the catch? Who knows? As the big fella took guard for the next ball, he noticed the umpire's upraised index finger and trooped off, lbw for 12 it says in the book, with the score on 107.

John Mooney hit a six and a four to make 15 before Russell bowled him in the last over. Gary Kidd was too slow going for a second run off the last delivery, and run out for one, leaving Peter Connell 6* and the total 124. The scoreboard had been showing two runs too many since the fourth over, but nobody corrected it.

For Jamaica, Santokie took 2/24, Bevan Brown 3/26, Oddie Brown 1/15 and Danza Hyatt 1/19, each off 4 overs. There were 15 extras, including one no ball and six wides. One again, Ireland were short of a decent score, perhaps by 25, and once again they would have to keep taking wickets to put Jamaica under pressure.

They got an immediate boost when the scoreboard showed the target as 128! And another when Parchment skied Peter Connell to Alex Cusack in the first over. John-Ross Campbell and Danza Hyatt took the score to 27, when Campbell was bowled by a beauty from Johnston for 6.

By the end of the Power Play Jamaica were only 39-2 (Ireland had been 49-4). Left-arm wrist spinner Gary Kidd was immediately introduced, and induced Hyatt, 18, to slog him to Gary Wilson (a good catch). Then Wilson obliged again to catch Lambert off Johnston for 11, and it was 49-4 in the eighth over.

Kidd and Andre Botha gave Carlton Baugh and Donovan Pagon nothing to hit for the next five overs. Porterfield grassed a catch off Botha when the score was 55, but Ireland weren't made to pay. In the thirteenth over Pagon swung all round a straight one from Kidd to be bowled for 9 and, next over, Baugh swatted Botha into Trent's buckets for 11, and it was 73-6.

When centurion Russell was brilliantly held low down by Porterfield off Botha for 8 it was 82-7. With four overs to go, the scoreboard showed Jamaica needing another 43 to win with three wickets left and two Browns at the wicket. So nobody got terribly exercised when Paul Stirling couldn't complete a swirling catch at point off Cusack.

In the eighteenth over Niall O'Brien ran around to catch Bevan Brown for 10 off Connell to make it 107-8. The scoreboard showed only 105 and, at the end of the nineteenth over, 109 with a score of 128 to beat. This forced Oddie Brown, who looked as if he could bat a bit, to agree to run a third to give the strike to Santokie, who didn't look as if he could bat.

The throw from deep fine leg was relayed to Niall O'Brien who swiftly shifted it up to the bowler's end to beat Brown, 20, comfortably. The scoreboard now showed 111-9 when in fact the score was 113. Santokie hit a six over drag and Connell bowled a wide. The last ball was a dot, which was fine if Jamaica needed 10, as the scoreboard showed. In fact, a four would have won the match!

Ireland too conceded 15 extras, including 3 no balls (all unpunished by the free hit) and seven wides. Johnston was superb for his 2/22 off 4, and Connell took 2/34 off his 4. Andre Botha may not be scoring many runs, but his spell of 4-1-19-2 was excellent. Gary Kidd had the best figures of the day with 4-0-13-2.

The match was tighter than anybody realised, and, even though I've seen them field better, Ireland's superior fielding was the crucial difference. The prize for the most runs of the day went to Gary Wilson, which was a little strange as Oddie Brown, Danza Hyatt and Paul Stirling all scored more than he did!

 
Cheers,
 
Stu.