Jamaica Star article.
Kingston, Jamaica - National leg-spinner Damion Jacobs, and batsman Aaron Johnson were in fine form yesterday during Kingston Hurricanes' 48-run win over Mandeville Thunders in the opening round of the Jamaica Premier League Twenty20 at Manley Horne Park, St Elizabeth.
Jacobs, who made his regional first-class debut last year, took three for 17 as Mandeville, set 163 to win, were held to 124 off 16.2 overs.
Left-arm spinner Thavi Spencer with three for 24, was the next best bowler for Kingston against Gary Graham, 36, and West Indies Under-19 batsman, Tristan Coleman, who chipped in with 32.
Earlier, the Hurricanes were led to 162 off their maximum 20 overs by the big-hitting Johnson, who plays two-day Senior Cup and one-day cricket for Kingston Cricket Club.
His top score of 52 was ably supported by Carlton Baugh Jr, who scored 33.
Left-arm spinner David Powell, two for 22, and national off-spinner Jamie Merchant, two for 32, took most wickets for the losers.
"It is good to know that we are off to a winning start, and the hope from here is that we will continue in our other matches," said Hurricanes captain, Yannick Elliott.
Batted Terribly
"We batted well enough to get to a good score, and in terms of our bowling and fielding, we were spot on with Jacobs and Spencer bowling really well."
Barry Barnes, coach of Mandeville, in the meanwhile, believes a lack of cohesion cost his team the game.
"At the start of a tournament where you don't get to play a lot of practice matches, it's kind of difficult to get cohesiveness going," said Barnes.
"We bowled fairly well in patches, but batted terribly with us not rotating the strike properly, and focusing too much on hitting boundaries."
Six parish capital-based franchise teams are participating in the six-week tournament, with the winners of the round-robin first round advancing to the final.
The runners and third place teams will thereafter play off for the other final berth.
