Defending Champions South Star progressed to the semi-finals of the third annual SDC Twenty20 Cricket competition after beating Waltham Court by eight wickets at Comfort, Manchester, last Saturday.

The champs, aiming to become the first team to claim back-to-back titles in the annual event, joined Junction, Content Gardens and Dela Vega City in the semi-finals, which is slated for this weekend at ALPART Sports Club, St Elizabeth.

National Under-19 youth player, Courtnay Allen, who played a key role in Jamaica lifting this year's regional double, stroked an unbeaten 96 to guide South Star to an emphatic win over the Kingston and St Andrew South champions, who were dismissed for 131 from their allotment.

Opening the innings Allen, who had missed the earlier rounds due to national commitments, propelled South Star to 132 for two and through to the last four.

Rain-affected

In the Comfort curtain-raiser, St Elizabeth champions Junction marched into the semis after a narrow rain-affected two-wicket win over Bridgeport.

Morning showers reduced the opening encounter to 15-overs per side with the Portmore champions making 100 for six after losing the toss. Junction in reply lost wickets at crucial stages but had just enough in them to secure victory at 101 for eight.

In other quarter-finals played at Eden Gardens, St Mary two-time beaten National finalists Broughton was eliminated by St Ann's Content Gardens, who won by one wicket.

No such trouble for St Catherine champions Dela Vega City in the early game at Eden Gardens, as they swept aside Hanover's Elgin Town by nine wickets.

The winners of the competition will take home $500,000, runners-up $300,000 and the third place finishers, $150,000 for third-place.