Melbourne takes command

- Junior Dowie

St. Catherine's Kevin Kelly looks back at his stumps after being bowled by Melbourne's Dwayne Cooper.

DEFENDING champions Melbourne have placed themselves in a strong position to force an outright victory over St. Catherine Parish and qualify for next weekend's final at Port Esquivel.

Going into today's final day, the score reads St. Catherine Parish 70 in 47.4 overs. Melbourne 167 for 9 in 57 overs.

A late rally by St. Catherine Parish, during which Melbourne lost five wickets for 20 runs, gave the rural team a boost. The architect behind Melbourne's slide was paceman Lascelles Davis who took six wickets for 32 runs off 13 overs.

Davis saved his best for last. The lanky pacer removed four batsmen in his final spell including top rungetter Colin Fletcher (33) and Nikita Miller and Colin Miller with successive deliveries, but his hat-trick ball went into the pad of Dwayne Cooper.

Fletcher chased 46 balls for his 33, while supporting knocks came from opening batsman Aubrey Wollaston (32), Llewellyn Meggs and captain Robert Samuels, 31 each.

St. Catherine Parish, the Middlesex Senior Cup champions, got off to a disastrous start and were unable to pull themselves out of trouble.

Only number 10 batsman Lascelles Davis, who went after the bowlers, offered any resistance with 15 including one six off Cooper over long-on, and a four.

Left arm-spinner Cooper claimed three for 11, fellow spinner Nikita Miller three for 16, Hutchinson three for 23 and pacer Conroy Miller one for 10.

AT ALLAN RAE OVAL: Cornwall Senior Cup champions Westmore-land, led by Cleveland Davidson's good all-round performance took first innings points from Surrey Senior Cup champions Kingston.

Scores: Kingston 147; Westmore-land 162 for six when bad light stopped play at approximately 5:50 p.m.

After being sent to bat by the home team, Kingston were reeling at 76 for three at one stage. They lost Nicholas Austin (3), Marvin McCain (6) and former Jamaica player Raymond Ferguson (44).

West Indies Development youth player Andre Hall (11) and Shane Brooks (31) added 31 runs for the fourth wicket before Hall was dismissed. Lloyd Black (10) followed shortly after as they slipped to 125 for five. But Kingston soon faltered, losing their last five wickets for a mere 22 runs.

Bowling for Westmoreland, Cleveland Davidson took four for 14 and Anthony Andrews two for 58.

In reply, Westmoreland were struggling at 48 for five at one stage. They suffered an early setback when Damion Davidson was caught at the wicket for nought without a run on the board off pacer Dwight Mais.

Next to go was St. Elizabeth Technical schooyboy Dwayne Ewart, caught by Brooks off the bowling of Audley Sanson for 17. But former national players Cleveland Davidson and Anthony Andrews turned it around in a fighting 112-run sixth wicket partnership which took the home team past Kingston's total.

Davidson was eventually caught off Black's bowling for a well played 51. Andrews will resume on 50 when play begins this morning at 10:00 a.m.

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