STETHS pile up mammoth total in Spalding Cup final

Defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) turned in an impressive batting display on the first day of their three-day Grace Financial/Spalding Cup All-Island Schoolboy Cricket final against Campion College at Melbourne Oval yesterday.

The rural champions won the toss and elected to bat, and they wasted no time in piling up 458 for nine declared. In reply, Campion reached five without loss as rain, which interrupted play for a second time, brought the day's play to a premature end at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Four players scored a half-century. Captain Ramaal Lewis led the way with a quick-fire 79 off 81 balls, while opener Lintel Barnes, who got the innings off to a great start with a 73-run opening partnership with Odaine McCatty (33), went for 64 runs. Michael Frew contributed 60 and Peter Brown, batting at number six, finished unbeaten on 54, following a 93-run eighth-wicket stand with Leonard Salmon (40).

outstanding display

Campion bowlers struggled for breakthroughs with Atishai Mansingh, the younger

Mansingh brother, being the most productive wicket-taker for the Corporate Area champion school. He took three for 99, with Saad Ahmad taking two for 80 and Abijai Mansingh two for 120.

STETHS' coach, Clive Ledgister, was pleased with his team's batting performance and expects a similarly outstanding display with the ball today.

"The aim was to get over 400 runs and we achieved that, so I am quite pleased. The only disappointment is that I thought some could have gone on to bigger scores," he said.

"We expect to continue to dominate this game and if Ramaal Lewis gives a good display, with Leonardo Salmon our left arm leg-spinner it can be dangerous.

"I just want them to come out tomorrow (today) and bowl the ball in the right areas and see if we can get 20 wickets," he added.

Campion's coach, Donald Bedwood, said they are up against a "formidable" total.

"We were saying that we could bowl them down, but we dropped some vital catches. It's a formidable total, but nothing says that we can't get there. We will do our best to make a competition of this. It's two innings and as long as we discipline ourselves and bat like St Elizabeth, we can do it," he said.