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St Mary 35 Overs cricket heats up

Published:Sunday | February 23, 2020 | 12:32 AM
Tajay Coke
Tajay Coke

Semi-final slots are on the line as the inaugural Sandals St Mary Jeff McKitty 35 Overs Super League competition continues today with three competitive matches across the parish.

The competition, which is being sponsored by Sandals Resorts, Costley Construction, Total Tools, Parkway Pharmacy, Braham’s Texaco Service Station and CHASE Fund will see highly fancied Port Maria tackling Mango Valley at Mango Valley; newcomers Clarke Castle up against Social Development Commission (SDC); T20 champions Gayle at Boscobel Oval, while Wilderness and Highgate lock horns at Days Mountain. All matches begin at 10 a.m.

With most of the parish’s top players absent because of Senior Cup duties, several youngsters will be using this opportunity to build their résumés and stake claims for Senior Cup representation.

At Days Mountain, Highgate will start favourites because of the presence of the highly touted Renar Ross and schoolboy star Tajae Coke, but they will have to fight all the way to stop a determined Wilderness team.

SDC Champs Gayle, with their top guns absent, will be looking to Kamar Silvera, national Under-17 and parish player Oshaun Ennis and fellow schoolboy star Zendai Williams to steer them to victory against Clarke Castle, a team with a host of young emerging players in their line-up.

At Mango Valley, Port Maria will look to the wiles of spinner Toussain Hassan, the experienced Richard Creary and former national Under-15 player Javon Nembhard to guide them to a semi-final placing. Mango Valley, however, could upset if Elando Robinson and Michael Belnavis turn up for the party.

In last week’s matches, Boscobel became the first qualifiers for the semi-finals, defeating Highgate by five wickets on the back of a sparkling innings of 85 not out by former national Under-19 player Tyrone Daley. Batting first, Highgate chalked up 141, with Gihon Murdock starring with 72 against Tajae Edwards 2-20, but Daley was in prime form seeing his team to victory.

In two other games, Days Mountain stopped Jack’s River in a match reduced to 21 overs because of the rains, while Clarke Castle scored their first win in the competition over Wilderness.