STETHS add T20 trophy to Headley, Spalding Cups

The successful 2023 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) cricket season continued for St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) as they added another trophy to their cabinet yesterday when they secured the rural T20 title following a 62-run win over hosts Manchester High in the final.

After getting by May Day High to retain the Headley Cup, STETHS got the better of Wolmer’s Boys in the all-island Spalding Cup playoff, and that winning mentality continued in the T20 final as STETHS put up a formidable 162 runs for the loss of seven wickets batting first and then restricted Manchester to 100 for nine in their allotted 20 overs.

A double strike from Manchester’s Rasheed Harriott made things interesting early as he sent back opener Tyriek Bryan and Marlon Powell for three and nought, respectively, as the visitors limped to 35 for two in the fifth over.

Opener Sean Roye and captain Malique Williams then got things moving again by adding 31 runs for the third wicket, which was the catalyst for the remainder of STETHS’ innings, with Roye going on to get 37 before he was bowled by Rhevon Morgan.

Skipper Williams and Odane Binns also added some useful runs, with the pair taking the score to 105 in the 15th over, after which Williams fell for 36 to his opposite number, Sanjay Walker.

Binns went on to get 31 while Odel Samuels chipped in with 18 to get STETHS to the competitive total of 162 for seven. Harriott ended with three wickets for 35 runs from his four overs for Manchester, who didn’t fare too well with the bat after a national youth fast bowler Gavasta Edmond struck an early blow by bowling opener Matthew Morgan for four in the very first over of the innings.

That early blow didn’t really allow the Manchester batters to settle as they continued to lose wickets, including their experienced captain Sanjay Walker for just four runs at 33 for three in the seventh over.

Brian Barnes played a few shots to get to 22 while wicket-keeper Dajay Nelson made 21 for Manchester. Edmond finished with three wickets for 23 runs, and Kevoni Graham bagged three for 21 to put a stranglehold on the Manchester innings, which petered out to 100 for nine as the overs ran out.

For winning captain Malique Williams, the win has motivated the team to also go for the all-island T20 title, which is next on the cards.

“We want to finish the season on a high, and we are not going to ease up on anybody. We are still not taking anything for granted because we know that other teams are coming at us and we are just going to play the best cricket we can,” Williams said.

Veteran Manchester coach Barry Barnes highlighted that the better team won on the day.

“Congratulations to STETHS as they outplayed us. They made fewer mistakes, and we made a lot of mistakes. Our batters didn’t come today, and I thought we just played terrible cricket.”