file - Lambert
ST AUGUSTINE, Trinidad (CMC):

Jamaica were wrecked by a devastating six-wicket haul from rookie fast bowler Corey Edwards, as Barbados took a firm grip on day one of their top-of-the-table WICB regional first-class clash yesterday.

Edwards grabbed six for 41 in a telling burst to send the tournament leaders Jamaica tumbling to 226 all out at the Frank Worrell Oval at the University of the West Indies.

The 26-year-old Edwards, in only his third first-class match shattered the Jamaica top order in spite of captain Tamar Lambert's 41.

Opener Dale Richards then notched a typically confident, unbeaten 63 as the Barbadians replied enterprisingly to reach 113 for one at the close.

All-rounder David Bernard's top score of 55, and spirited lower order resistance, rallied the innings from the despair of 100 for seven to a more respectable total.

Odean Brown lashed out sensibly in a career-best 33 as the last three wickets added 126 runs.

Earlier, experienced left-armer Pedro Collins made an early strike after Jamaica won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch with generous moisture.

Brenton Parchment chased an outswinger and Richards hauled in an easy first slip catch at 10 for one.

Edwards soon won an lbw verdict as Danza Hyatt played no stroke and Jamaica slipped to 18 for two.

The lively right-armer, son of former Barbados national cyclist Hector Edwards, made it 37 for three when debutant John-Ross Campbell chased a wide ball and edged to wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich.

Lambert dominated a restorative fourth-wicket stand of 57 with Donovan Pagon as Jamaica lunched at 82 for three.

But the innings went into a spiral soon after the resumption as Edwards blasted away the middle order.

backward point

Pagon, who batted unfussed for 29 off 93 balls, with five fours, sparked the slide when he slashed at a wide one and provided a simple catch to backward point.

Edwards ripped out Nkrumah Bonner's middle stump with a yorker next ball and although Carlton Baugh survived the hat-trick, he went next ball to give Edwards three wickets in four deliveries and a treasured five-wicket haul.

Baugh drove loosely and Dowrich snared another comfortable catch.

When West Indies left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn grabbed the key wicket of Lambert, caught low down at slip by Richards, Jamaica were down and out at 100 for seven.

Lambert cracked six fours off 71 balls.

But Bernard rallied the late order, adding 37 with Andrew Richardson, 57 with Odean Brown and 32 with last man Jason Dawes.

Benn claimed Richardson to a catch at backward short leg but the lanky spinner was carted for a number of boundaries after that.

Edwards, in the middle of a magical day, produced a stunning one-handed catch to remove Brown, tiptoeing around the deep midwicket rope and sticking out the right hand to give Ryan Hinds a wicket.

He later finished off the innings as Bernard snicked a square cut to Dowrich.

Richards and teenager Kraigg Brathwaite added 56 for the first wicket to lay a sound platform for the Bajans.

When Brathwaite made 20 before chipping a return catch off Lambert's off-spin, Richards found another assured ally in Jason Haynes (23 not out) and the pair added 57 unbroken before the close.

The 33-year-old Richards cracked six fours and three sixes on his way to a season-best, his sixth half-century this year.