Kingston, CMC:

DEFENDING DOUBLE-CROWN champions Barbados recorded their third successive victory with a hard-fought, come-from-behind, 40-run win over Jamaica on the fourth day in their third round match of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series at Sabina Park yesterday.

Set 245 to win, Jamaica, who resumed the final day on 54 for two, were dismissed for 204 three-quarters of an hour after tea.

Barbados, who conceded a narrow seven-run first innings lead, had to claw their way back into the match after contrasting half-centuries from Keith Hibbert and Maurice Kepple to put Jamaica on course.

Once a seventh wicket partnership of 72 was ended in the first over after tea, Barbados pressed home the advantage to maintain their 100 per cent winning record and move to a maximum 36 points.

Three wickets each to fast bowlers Tino Best and Ryan Nurse, as well as left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, along with seven dismissals for wicketkeeper Courtney Browne spurred Barbados to their victory.

Recovery

Jamaica slipped to 106 for six within the first 40 minutes before lunch before Kepple and Hibbert came together to engineer a recovery.

Hibbert, batting at No. 8 after opening in the first innings, counter-attacked in a run-a-ball 54 that included eight fours and a six, while the defiant Kepple, who resumed on 10, tenaciously fought for close to six hours in making a dogged 65.

Jamaica's hopes, however, faded when Hibbert edged a catch to wicketkeeper Browne off Best in the first over after tea.

It was one of seven dismissals in the innings and one of ten in the match for the Barbados captain who equalled the record for the most dismissals in a match by a 'keeper that was also attained by his Jamaican counterpart Hibbert the previous day.

Kepple's resistance ended soon after when he was lbw to Benn after batting 350 minutes and facing 208 balls in an innings studded with excellenct powers of concentration.

Man-of-the-Match Best finished with three for 53 to push his tally of wickets for the season to 23, while Benn, who was belatedly brought into the attack, took three for 21.

Nurse, who sent down a marathon 16-over spell that was broken only by lunch, made the early inroads and ended with three for 48.