National coach Junior Bennett admits that Jamaica will now be in the unwanted position of having to play catch-up cricket after going down by five wickets under the Duckworth/Lewis method to minnows Windward Islands at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium yesterday.

Jamaica will have to come good against Trinidad and Tobago at Sabina Park tomorrow if they are to have a realistic chance of winning this year's West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) 50 Overs Tournament.

Favourites entering the contest, Jamaica, after an average batting display, posted 224 off their allotted fifty overs. The Windwards, in their reply, after two rain interruptions, then amassed 85-5 off 20 overs, after being set a revised target of 113 off 35 overs.

Leading the way for the Windwards was sidelined West Indies opener, Devon Smith, whose composed 42 not out, was the backbone of the visitors innings amidst the rain interruptions, which curtailed a likely exciting end to the game.

Smith's opening partner Johnson Charles also contributed 20 valuable runs against spin-twins, Nikita Miller 2-8 off four overs, and Odean Brown 2-10 off three overs.

The win, which is the second in successive meetings for the Windwards at the venue, after they surprised the champions-elect Jamaica in the regional four-day title two seasons ago, moved the Windwards top of Group A along with Trinidad and Tobago, who defeated the Combined Campuses and Colleges by eight wickets at Kensington Park, in the group's other game. Bennett, lamenting that the total was defendable, and had it not been for the rain, the outcome may have been different, was optimistic heading into Trinidad's game.

"It's the way the game goes. The rain chipped in and in the end we were short by 10 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method," said Bennett.

"Our spinners tried but it was just not their day. The loss has put us under pressure, as we didn't want to play catch-up cricket, but what it means is that we will have to win our next two games."

A smiling Darren Sammy, in the meanwhile, whose leadership throughout the game was evident, said he was happy that his team was able to come away victors, as it puts them in a good position to make the semi-finals.

"When we landed here we said we needed to win at least two games to make it to the semi-finals, and today we won our first," he said.

"When we were asked to bowl first with rain in mind we were quite happy, as the forecast was for a rainy day, and as the day progressed it worked in our favour bowling and batting wise."

Jamaica, who played six specialist batsman, and left out all-rounder Andre Russell, fast bowler Andrew Richardson and young batsman, Horace Miller from their 14-man squad, had an injured Chris Gayle to thank for their fairly competitive total. After pulling his hamstring in the first over, forced to retire hurt, Gayle returned with a runner, with the team wobbling at 135-5 in the 39th over, and proceeding to launch the Windwards bowlers all over the park topscored with 58 not out.

The ever-reliable Tamar Lambert with 38 off 60 balls, second topscored for Jamaica, while Danza Hyatt 36 off 45 balls, and Carlton Baugh Jr 24 not out also made useful runs.

Jamaica's captain Chris Gayle hitting out during his unbeaten 58 in the opening West Indies Cricket Board President's Cup one-day match against the Windward Islands at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn