Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
St Elizabeth's Christopher Dyer (left) and Shawn Findlay (centre) celebrate the fall of a Melbourne wicket on yesterday's first day of their Jamaica Cricket Association Super Cup match at Melbourne Oval. Joining in the celebration is Wayne Simpson.

Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

ST. ELIZABETH are poised to win the Super Cup after dominating yesterday's opening day against Melbourne in their top-of-the-table clash at Melbourne Oval.

Scores in the match so far, Melbourne 79 and 81 without loss, St. Elizabeth 315.

St. Elizabeth on 29 points - threemore than Melbourne, only need to avoid defeat to win the title, while Melbourne have to win outright.

Winning the toss and electing to bowl, St. Elizabeth were well on their way to restricting Melbourne to a low score within the first half an hour of play.

Pacer Jerome Taylor, who returned from West Indies duties in England, was brutal in the morning session by removing Damion Henry (12), Omar Allison (zero) and Andre McCarthy (three) and backed up by the run out of Damion Jacobs and Conroy Miller, who bowled Yanick Elliott for three, Melbourne were 18 for five.

Hat-trick

Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and, despite Carlton Baugh who came in at No. 6 to score a fighting 34 not out, Melbourne's innings folded before lunch for 76. Taylor, who bowled seven overs, picked up 3-34, Miller, 2-4, and Ainsley Goss, who was on a hat-trick, 2-13.

In reply, St. Elizabeth got off to a shaky start, losing Davian Davidson (eight), Damion Ebanks (16) and Howard Powell (zero) to leave them at 25 for three.

However, Shane Powell with 59, along with Shawn Findlay's 27 and Tanquie White's 28 helped St. Elizabeth to 147 for six but it was a 135 seventh-wicket stand between Taylor and Christopher Bryan which took the game away from Melbourne.

Both Taylor and Bryan fell with the score on 307, but not before the former scored 85 off 79 balls with 10 fours and a six, while the latter hit 58 off 68 balls with 13 fours and a six.

Melbourne resume on 81 without loss today, still 155 behind St. Elizabeth, with Henry on 46 and Jacobs on 19.

At Up Park Camp: Kingston took first innings points from Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

JDF were bowled out for 174 with Mark Grey getting 74. Kerry Scott and Kemar Richards took three wickets each.

Kingston closed on 204 for six. Domaine Wilson got 74.

At Kirkvine: Kensington, replying to Manchester's 261, were 67 for two.