Emmerson Sealy, clearly in the best form of his life, delivered in a big way yesterday.
His devastating late-afternoon spell of fast bowling clinched first innings points for championship leaders Police over Big B Spartan.
Recalled at a stage when the home team was just about beginning to seize the advantage, the 31-year-old constable sent down three unplayable deliveries – two bulls-eye yorkers and a vicious snorter that accounted for topscorer Stephen Leslie.
His partner, Sylvester Louis, finished off the innings with successive deliveries.
The end result was that Spartan, who were making encouraging progress on 151 for five, had dramatically lost their last five wickets for 18.
Sealy finished with four for 56 from 10 overs, and the lead for Police was 35.
It was fascinating stuff by Sealy who was roughed up in his opening spell of five overs that cost 45.
Alvin Campbell gave him the avenue to Spartan's lower-order when he had Rowehan Walcott smartly caught by Stanton Proverbs at second slip to end a solid fifth-wicket stand of 45.
Sealy made inroads in the space of three balls and neither batsman had a chance.
Dave Marshall was lbw by a fast one that took him on the boot, and by the time Aaron Barker got his bat down, the timber behind him had already been knocked back several yards.
The gritty Leslie, hit on the glove time and again after a light shower gave the pitch a little give, finally succumbed to a nasty one which took him on the glove and lobbed to gully.
It was a dogged innings by the improving Leslie, who fell one short of a half-century. Six fours off 102 balls were his main scoring strokes in a knock that lasted 2 1/2 hours.
Once he was out of the way, Louis, the season's leading wicket-taker, took care of Dexter Toppin and Richard Connelly, both having their stumps hit.
The pre-tea session, cut short by 17 minutes, was an exciting one in which Spartan lashed 115 runs in losing four wickets.
Opener Wayne Blackman, woefully short of runs since returning to Barbados in mid-season, provided most of the entertainment with an enterprising 38 off 28 balls.
He counted seven fours before edging fast-medium Duane Davis low to wicket-keeper Derwin Thompson.
Davis also removed Livy Puckerin, while Corey Yearwood was bowled behind his back by Sealy and Kerry Lucas run out.
Following is a summarised reports of the other matches:
St. Catherine 152-9 dec.; Empire 221-5:
Roland Holder fell just two runs short of his second successive century at Bayfield as ICB Empire comfortably took first innings points from BNB St. Catherine.
Holder took the attack to the St. Catherine ``pit bulls'', striking 10 fours and two sixes in his innings in which he had chances at 19 and 42.
He eventually departed caught and bowled by Victor Skeete on the second attempt.
Shawn Graham finished on 44 not out and the home team conceded 52 extras.
Schools North 175; BCL 73-5:
Thanks to an unbroken stand of 35 between captain Winston Herbert and Richard Foster, BCL recovered 38 for five before play was curtailed due to a downpour.
Herbert (21 not out) and Foster (unbeaten on 12) pulled the innings around after the schoolboys, led by the pace of Ruenel Agard, with two for ten off six lively overs, threatened to skittle them out.
Wanderers 352 -7 dec.; 78-5:
Hendy Bryan underlined his all-round ability, scoring an unbeaten century against ESA Field Pickwick on a good batting strip.
The Cockspur Wanderers captain, continuing from his overnight 62, put the toothless Pickwick bowling to the sword as he hammered 163 not out.
Left-hander Glasgow also completed a half-century, falling to Hendy Wallace for 58 before Wanderers eventually declared.
Pickwick struggled in the closing stages as Bryan picked up three wickets.
Schools South 51 and 119-8; Banks 89-9 dec.:
With 90 minutes lost to rain, CHIC Schools South ended with a second innings lead of 81, giving themselves a slim chance of victory next week.
Starting on six for two, the students added 113 runs with Ryan Burke (37), Kurt Wilkinson (31) and Vonrick Nurse (25) batting well in stages.
Veteran Winston Reid, with five for 29 off 21 overs, kept Banks in control as the students showed some fight.
Maple 164 Carlton 181/8:
Led by an attacking 90 from opener Jason Clarke and 54 from Ron Cumberbatch, United Carlton reaped first innings points over Mount Gay Maple.
Clarke struck and four sixes and nine fours and shared in an important fourth-wicket stand of 138 with Cumberbatch who struck seven boundaries.
The two took the score from nine for three to 147 before Clarke held out to long-on. Matthew Nicholls and Donovan Lopez finished with three wickets a piece.