By Tony Becca, Senior Sport EditorFOUR MONTHS after the first ball was bowled, the Rothmans Senior Cup cricket competition enters its final round today and with all three titles still up for grabs, with three teams still in contention in each section, the promise is for an exciting climax.
In the Surrey Senior Cup, the race to the tape is between Kingston CC who are in front on 35 points, defending champions Melbourne on 32, and Lucas on 31; in the Middlesex Senior Cup, it is between St. Catherine on 23, Manchester on 18 and St. Mary on 18; and in the Cornwall Senior Cup, the fight is between Westmoreland on 22, defending champions St. Elizabeth on 20, and Trelawny on 20.
The odds are on two of the three leaders hanging on to win the respective titles.
In the Surrey Senior Cup, Kingston CC, with a lead of three points and St. Thomas to play, are expected to win the match and take the title; and with St. Catherine finishing their assignments in the Middlesex Senior Cup five points in front, with Manchester and St. Mary needing to win to pip them by one, they too appear set to celebrate.
In the Cornwall Senior Cup, however, Westmoreland could end up in second place.
Like St. Catherine, Westmoreland have completed their schedule. Unlike St. Catherine, however, their lead is only two points and first innings points for either St. Elizabeth or Trelawny would leave them in the runners-up spot.
The six important matches on today, therefore, are Kingston versus St. Thomas at Goodyear Oval, Melbourne against Portland at Melbourne Oval, and Lucas versus Boys' Town at Nelson in the Surrey Senior Cup, Manchester versus St. Ann at Reynolds and St. Mary against Clarendon in the Middlesex Senior Cup, and St. Elizabeth versus Trelawny at Elletson Wakeland in the Cornwall Senior Cup.
Other matches scheduled: Surrey Senior Cup Jamaica Defence Force versus St. Catherine CC at Camp, Tivoli against Police at Seprod; Cornwall Senior Cup St. James versus Hanover at Jarrett Park.
With St. Catherine and Westmoreland sitting and waiting, with none of the other contenders in either the Surrey Senior Cup or the Middlesex Senior Cup up against each other, the feature contest is the head-to-head clash between St. Elizabeth and Trelawny as first innings points for one or the other would hand them the Cup.
In the Surrey Senior Cup, all three contenders should win their matches, and if that happens, or if they all only lead on first innings, Kingston CC will be the winners. St. Thomas, however, are the strongest of the opposing teams, and Melbourne and Lucas are therefore hoping they will win and that St. Thomas can hold Kingston CC.
If Melbourne win and Kingston CC are held to first innings, the arch-rivals will share the title even if Lucas win. Lucas' only chance is victory for them, first innings loss for Kingston CC and only first innings for Melbourne.
The interest in today's final round of the Surrey Senior Cup, however, also includes the battle for a place in the semi-finals of the Rothams National Championship and the County Championship.
The first two teams in the Surrey Senior Cup will advance to both competitions, and not even Kingston CC of the three teams in contention for the Surrey title are certain to be one of them.
Depending on their fortunes today and tomorrow, it is possible that only one will make it. With 28 points in the bag, JDF, with a little luck, could squeeze into both the semi-finals of the Rothmans National Championship and the County Championship.
