St Catherine CC, JDF into JAMT20 semis
ST Catherine Cricket Club and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) became the first two teams to secure semi-final spots in the Jamaica Cricket Association JAMT20 competition.
In yesterday’s first game at Kensington Park, St Catherine CC beat Melbourne by 12 runs, while JDF secured a four-wicket victory over University of the West Indies (UWI).
St Catherine CC, batting first against Melbourne, were in early trouble at 16-3 after Yank Elliott, who finished with 3 for 35, and Christopher Lamont, 1 for 9, broke the back of their top order. They then slipped to 67-6 before Wayne Morgan, who came in at number four, got some help from Pete Salmon in a 39-run seventh-wicket stand.
Morgan got an even 50, which came off 34 balls and included three fours and as many sixes, and Salmon’s 33 off just 17 balls set up St Catherine CC 131 for 9 off their allotted 20 overs.
At their turn at bat, Melbourne were never given the chance to settle as they lost wickets regularly. Sadiki Bolt and Tarique Waite, 12 each, put on 24 for the opening stand, the only bright spark of their innings.
Elliott, 24, Tafari Williams, 22, and Damion Jacobs, 17, were the others to get into double digits.
Morgan ended with 3 for 15, and Oraine Williams, 3 for 20. David Morgan supported with 2-18.
JDF, in the day’s second game, beat UWI with just one delivery to spare.
UWI, in what could be considered their worst game of the competition, made 129 for four off their allotted 20 overs. Desmond James, 59 (2×6, 57 balls) and Ravman Powell, 42, put on 74 for the third wicket.
However, after Powell was dismissed, UWI’s batsmen found it difficult to score in the last three overs. Akbal Moodie took 2 for 16 for JDF.
In reply, Rasheed Otar with an unbeaten 58, which came off 50 deliveries and included three sixes and two fours, led the way for the army men to secure victory at 130 for 4.
Bereston Reid, who got 33, featured in an important 79-run second wicket stand with Otar, which set up the soldiers’ victory.
In today’s other quarter-final matches set for the Manley Horne Park in South St Elizabeth, St Ann will oppose Westmoreland at 10:00 am, and St Elizabeth tackle University of Technology at 2:00 pm.