Saints, Tigers to square off for Senior Cup title

St Catherine CC and Kingston CC will square off for this year’s Jamaica Cricket Association Senior Cup title following final-day semi-final action across two venues on Sunday.

At Chedwin Park, the home side, St Catherine CC, secured first-innings honours in their rain-affected drawn game against St Elizabeth Cricket Association.

When play ended, St Catherine CC were 196 for four, replying to St Elizabeth’s 96 all out. Overnight batsman Oraine Williams, who resumed on 38, went on to top-score with 77 from 99 balls, with eight fours and a six, before he was bowled by Damion Ebanks.

Williams’ opening partner, Romaine Bennett, added eight more runs to his overnight score of 20 as he fell to spinner Lennox Simpson after adding 99 runs for the first wicket with Williams.

Carlos Brown made 38 while captain Peat Salmon chipped in with an unbeaten 36 to ensure that the Saints stayed out in front to book their place in the championship game. Captain Salmon was pleased with his team’s performance.

“Making it to the final is good because we haven’t been to a Senior Cup final since 2015, and we as a team sat down and had a talk just before the start of the season. We said that we needed to win the Senior Cup and also asked players to put up big performances, and they have done so throughout the competition as we have four batters in the top 10 leading run scorers and two bowlers in the top 10, so for me, it is a good team effort,” Salmon said.

St Catherine’s opponents in the final, Kingston CC, also booked their passage after securing first-innings honours in their drawn contest against St Ann Cricket Association.

Kingston CC made 193 all out and then dismissed St Ann for 167, with left-arm spinner Paul Harrison bagging four wickets for 47 runs and Derval Green taking three wickets for 48 runs. Patrick Harty took two wickets for 42 runs despite Renaldo Ingram going on to make 107 after resuming the final day on 54 with St Ann 89 for six.

In their second turn at the crease, Kingston were skittled out for just 94, with Christopher Lamont bagging five wickets for 28 runs and two wickets each for Kristoff Virgo and Damani Sewell.

Chasing 120 for victory, St Ann could only manage to reach 65 for six, with Ingram going on to score 25 from 14 balls, this against Green, who bagged three wickets for 34 runs and Harrison two wickets for 30 runs.

Kingston CC captain Akim Fraser was elated that his team was able to come out on top in what was described as a frantic semi-final.

“I am proud of the work that everybody has done, and it has been a real team effort throughout the season. At every point of the season, someone has chipped in, which points to a really good team effort,” Fraser said.