Williams and co put Saints in Senior Cup semifinal driver’s seat

UTILITY PLAYER Oraine Williams demonstrated his true skills as an all-rounder for St Catherine CC as the right-hander, along with his fast-bowling duo, put the skids on St Elizabeth on the opening day of their Jamaica Cricket Association two-day Senior Cup semifinal at Chedwin Park.

Williams, along with pacer Elvis O’connor, bagged three wickets each, while opening bowler Michail Powell took two, to help skittle out St Elizabeth for a mere 96 in 28.2 overs after they decided to take the first strike.

St Catherine reached 60 without loss when rain ended play just before tea to trail by 36 runs with Williams not out on 38 and Romaine Bennett on 20.

Earlier, Williams, who kept wicket in last week’s quarterfinal encounter against St Mary Cricket Association, did the damage with his medium pacers this week, finishing with three wickets for 15 runs from four overs.

It was, however, pacers O’connor and Powell who started the demolition job for the Saints, as the St Bess top order failed to consolidate on a pitch that was assisting the seamers.

At one stage, St Elizabeth was 39 for seven in the 15th over, and it took a sensible head from captain Damion Ebanks to rescue the visiting team from an even more embarrassing score.

Ebanks spent more than an hour at the crease and batted 53 balls for his top score of 38, which included five fours and the only six of the innings.

DOUBLE FIGURES

Odane Binns with 14, opener Jordan Holness, with 13, and Lennox Simpson, with 11, were the only other players to get into double figures. O’connor finished with three wickets for eight runs while Powell had two for 34.

In reply, Williams has hit four fours in his 54-ball unbeaten knock of 38 with Bennett facing 45 balls for his 20.

St Catherine captain, Peat Salmon, was overjoyed that his bowlers came up trumps on the opening day as the aim on today’s second day is to get first-innings honours.

“I think we bowled pretty well with the new ball with the seamers putting the ball in the right areas. I must give credit to Oraine (Williams) who is a very good utility player, when we ask him to keep, he does it well, and when we ask him to bowl, he does it like he is a frontline bowler.”

St Elizabeth captain, Damion Ebanks, lamented the poor showing with the bat after winning the toss.

“I didn’t think we got the score that we were looking for, but it’s still a tricky game and a long way to go, so we still have hope and confidence.”

Over in the other semifinal at the Noranda Bauxite ground in St Ann, the hosts were in a spot of bother at stumps against Kingston Cricket Club.

When stumps were drawn, St Ann were 89 for six, replying to Kingston CC’s first-innings score of 193, to trail by 104 runs.

Renaldo Ingram will be St Ann’s hope of getting first-innings honours, as he will resume today on 54. He has struck five fours and a six in his 92-ball knock.

Left-arm spinner Paul Harrison has done the brunt of the damage, bagging three wickets for 25 runs with Derval Green picking up two wickets for 28 runs.

Earlier, Mickayle Riley hit a top score of 92 to breathe some life back into the Tigers’ innings, which was in trouble at one stage at 66 for six, in the 23rd over.

Riley hit nine fours and two sixes in adding some useful runs from the lower order with Derval Green getting 32 and captain Akim Fraser, 21.

There were two wickets each for Damani Sewell, Orlando Royes, Kevaundre Virgo and Christopher Lamont.