PROVIDENCE, Guyana (CMC):

Wicketkeeper Derwin Christian defied tournament leaders Jamaica with a maiden first-class hundred that revived Guyana, on the third day of their sixth-round WICB regional four-day match yesterday at the National Stadium.

Pressing for their third con-secutive victory, the unbeaten Jamaicans had Guyana reeling at 122 for six shortly after lunch, but Christian cracked a blistering 113 off 125 balls and shared in century stand with his captain, Travis Dowlin, to help the home side close at 301 for nine in reply to the visitors' first innings score of 441 for eight declared.

The 163-run seventh-wicket partnership between Christian and Dowlin allowed Guyana to drag themselves past the follow-on target and Dowlin finished on 71 when bad light stopped play at 4:41 p.m. local time.

Jamaica, holding a three-point lead - with a game in hand over their nearest rivals - in the championship standings, used the morning session to press the accelerator toward their fourth win in five games.

Slump

Key batsmen Leon Johnson and Narsingh Deonarine appeared to dislike umpiring decisions to give them out and by lunch the home side had slumped to 103 for five from their overnight position of 22 for one.

Pacer Andrew Richardson, who got the breakthrough Saturday evening, struck early when he removed opener Royston Crandon at 32 for two. Crandon (14) flashed at a wide delivery and edged a catch to first slip.

Medium pacers Dave Bernard, Wavell Hinds and the left-arm spinner Nikita Miller then combined to snare three more valuable wickets in the session.

Christian joined Dowlin and the pair considerably bolstered the innings with a very positive century partnership. Both batsmen played responsibly and their approach was measured and confident, choosing well which balls to attack.

Both batsmen reached half-centuries before tea, Christian more aggressive as he reached his third first-class 50 off just 60 balls with four fours and three sixes off the leg-spinners. He smashed two sixes off Gavin Wallace and another off Odean Brown.

Dowlin faced 160 balls for his half-century, stroking three boundaries.

The pair continued to flourish after tea and had carried the score to within six runs of the follow-on target when Christian departed. Attempting a huge hit against Brown, Christian was caught by Bernard at the deep backward square boundary.

Fluctuating form

The 25-year-old Christian, who has displayed fluctuating form this season, with three 'ducks' in eight innings entering this match, played a fine innings. His 159-minute effort, laced with 14 fours and three sixes, bettered by far his previous first-class best of 52 against Combined Campuses and Colleges in the second round last month.

His dismissal at 285 for seven, triggered another quick slide for Guyana as Miller trapped Esaun Crandon lbw for six and at 295 for eight, and Brown had Zaheer Mohammed (0) caught behind just one run later.

Dowlin, playing a captain's innings, has now scored four half-centuries this season and is 29 runs away from his fifth first-class hundred. He has faced 236 balls and struck three fours.

Miller has been Jamaica's chief wicket-taker with three for 64 off 33 overs with nine maidens, while Richardson (2-48), Brown (2-52), Hinds (1-36) and Bernard (1-36) have shared six wickets.

Rain obstructs T&T

AT PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad and Tobago's bid for an outright win over the Leeward Islands suffered a setback yesterday when rain badly affected the third day's play of their sixth-round match.

Rain allowed just one over after lunch at UWI's Sir Frank Worrell Ground and play was abandoned at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time with T&T on a solid 101 for one, an overall lead off 229 runs.

Scores: T&T 349 (Adrian Barath 192, Daren Ganga 48, Sherwin Ganga 39, Imran Khan 22; Gavin Tonge 6-86) & 101-1 (Adrian Barath 52 not out, Daren Ganga 33 not out). LEEWARDS 221 (Runako Morton 55, Omari Banks 55, Devon Thomas 34; Imran Khan 5-33, Ravi Rampaul 3-71).