BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

Newcomer Gavin Wallace uncorked a record eight-wicket haul yesterday and propelled title-holders Jamaica to a spectacular six-wicket victory over the Leeward Islands, on the third day of their first-round WICB Four-day Regional match.

The Leewards had appeared to tighten their grip on the game when they claimed a 71-run first innings advantage, but their batting plunged to a perilous second-innings score of 91 and the Jamaicans - set 163 to win - strode to a comfortable win.

Remarkable victory

Opening batsman Danza Hyatt top scored with 46 as the Jamaicans achieved a remarkable come-from-behind victory with a day to spare, at 163 for four just before 5:30 local time at Warner Park.

With excellent use of the googly, Man of the Match Wallace ripped through the Leewards' batting in a dream debut for Jamaica.

Coming off a brief experience with Combined Campuses & Colleges in the Carib Beer Series last year, Wallace is a first-timer for Jamaica in the regional four-day championship and logged tremendous figures of eight for 20 off 10 overs with two maidens, the best figures ever by a Jamaican in tournament history.

Wallace hardly left much for the other bowlers to do, with Richardson (1-16) and Brown (1-34) picking up the other wickets.

Wallace's effort surpassed Nehemiah Perry's haul of eight for 45 against Guyana at Sabina Park in 1989 as the best figures for a Jamaican in regional four-day cricket.

Maximum points

The victory gave the Jamaicans maximum 12 points and a share of the early championship lead with the Windward Islands, who crushed Guyana by an innings in Grenada earlier yesterday afternoon.

The Leewards had quickly wrapped up the Jamaica innings in the morning as the visitors were only able to add 26 runs to their overnight score of 201 for seven, while losing their last three wickets.

Leg-spinner Anthony Martin, who delivered one over - a maiden - in the morning, finished as the top bowler with solid figures of five for 48 off 23 overs, including eight maidens.

Banks picked up two for 63 off 23.1 overs of his off-spin and the other wicket-takers were Cornwall (2-32) and pacer Gavin Tonge (1-47).

Restoring the team

The Jamaican bowlers, with the huge task of restoring their team's hopes, made a promising start and rocked the home team's top order.

The Leewards went to lunch at 50 for three, after losing captain Runako Morton (11), Austin Richards (12) and Orlando Peters (1) cheaply.

It was 19 for one when the left-handed Richards was caught at mid-off driving at pacer Richardson and Morton was bowled - at 41 for two - playing back to a delivery by leg-spinner Brown that hurried on to him.

Then, on the stroke of lunch, Wallace's googly tricked Peters and trapped him leg before wicket playing no shot.

The 24-year-old Wallace tormented and wrecked the home side's innings after lunch by dramatically snaring all the remaining seven wickets.

In the second round, starting Friday, Jamaica will be away to Trinidad and Tobago and the Leewards will be idle until the third round when they face Barbados in St Maarten.