Jamaica in sight of a place in Busta final

Jamaica are 102 runs away from reaching the final of the Busta Cup at close of the third day's play in their semi-final match against Trinidad and Tobago being played at Sabina Park, Kingston in Jamaica.

In an absorbing day of cricket, Jamaica shot out T&T for just 197 in their second innings; Jermaine Lawson (21.1-6-44-4) and Ryan Cunningham (9-5-11-3) doing all the damage. Resuming at their overnight score of 42/1, T&T lost two quick wickets to the off-spin bowling of Gareth Breese - Dwayne Bravo (42) and opening batsmen Imran Jan (26) back in the hut with the score reading 83/3.

T&T had earlier secured a only a narrow seven-run first innings lead and needed to put up a big total to give themselves a snuff out Jamaica's chances of winning the game. But the visitors lost the plot against some purposeful medium pace bowling by Lawson and the left-arm spinner Cunningham.

Lendl Simmons, the 17-year-old nephew of the former Test player Phil Simmons, made a breezy 39 off 44 balls before being cleaned up by Cunningham. Richard Smith (28), Zaheer Ali (20) and Dinanath Ramnaraine (19) got a start and failed to make a big score as T&T lost their last six wickets for just 29 runs, being bowled out for 197 in their second essay.

Chasing a target of 205 in the fourth innings of the match, Jamaica got off to a fantastic start. Leon Garrick and Chris Gayle put on 74 runs for the first wicket. T&T skipper Richard Smith used as many as seven bowlers to bowl the 22 overs, with the likes of Mervyn Dillon and Marlon Black used for four and two overs respectively.

The only wicket to fall was that of Gayle (36), claimed by the leg-spinner Ramnaraine (7-1-31-1). At close of play, Jamaica are on 103/1, with Garrick (45*) and Wavell Hinds (9*) at the crease. Jamaica should have it easy on the final day with nine second wickets in hand.