port of spain, trinidad (cmc)

Daren Ganga and Denesh Ramdin stroked half-centuries for Trinidad & Tobago but Jamaica's fast bowlers kept their side in the contest on the opening day of their fourth round Carib Beer Series match Friday.

Ganga hammered 79 and Ramdin scored 63 as T&T, batting first after being sent in, were bowled out for a modest 257 at Queen's Park Oval.

Fast bowler Daren Powell was the leading bowler, snatching four for 60 while his West Indies counterpart, Jerome Taylor, claimed three for 41 with his pace.

In reply, Jamaica closed on 41 for one after eight overs, losing the wicket of Gayle, trapped in front to Dwayne Bravo for six.

Ganga and Ramdin shared an important sixth wicket partnership of 92 in 103 minutes off 191 balls, which brought some respectability to the team's total after they had slumped to 102 for five.

Perhaps warming up for the imminent tours by Sri Lanka and Australia, Ganga batted 223 minutes and faced 172 balls and hit 13 fours, while Ramdin's innings was compiled in 126 minutes off 134 balls with eight fours and a six.

When the partnership was broken, T&T lost their last five wickets for 63 runs to lose their momentum.

Gayle's decision to ask T&T to bat paid rich dividends earlier on when Simmons was caught at gully by Brenton Parchment for two off Powell, in the fourth over.

Ganga joined Williams Perkins (27) to add a further 48, though they found the going tough against the new ball attack of Powell and Taylor, both of whom bowled with pace and hostility on a lively Oval track.

AT SALEM PARK: Leeward Islands, batting first after winning the toss, were 166 for two against Barbados.

Scores: Leewards 166-2 (Runako Morton 73 not out, Austin Richards 45; Sulieman Benn 2-54).

AT GROS ISLET: Windward Islands, sent in to bat by Combined Campuses and Colleges, reached 347 for nine at the close on the rain-hit opening day.

Scores: Windwards 347-9 (Devon Smith 159 not out, Donwell Hector 46, Darren Sammy 37, Myles Bascombe 36, Deighton Butler 21 not out; Kurt Wilkinson 2-41, Garvin Wallace 2-56, Jamal Noel 2-58) vs CCC.