Saints are Senior Cup champions

The Jamaica Cricket Association Senior Cup final saw the bat dominating the ball as more than 650 runs were scored. In the end, it was St Catherine CC who chalked up the most runs thus securing the title on first innings yesterday in their drawn game against Kingston Cricket Club at Sabina Park.

Chasing a formidable score of 319 posted by the Kingston ‘Tigers’, St Catherine batted close to 5 p.m. yesterday and amassed 333 for the loss of eight wickets, with three of the Saints’ most notable players coming up with telling contributions.

First up, the burly Jamaica Tallawahs opener, Kennar Lewis, was his usual aggressive self-getting 94 from 73 balls with 12 fours and four sixes to get the Saints off to the kind of start the team needed in chasing a big total.

Lewis, who wanted to bring up his century with one huge blow, held out to deep backward square off Kingston captain Akim Fraser with the score 144 for two.

Then national all-rounder Jeavor Royal came up big with the bat as he consolidated his innings of 77 from 90 balls, which included six fours and three sixes.

When he fell to Patrick Harty in the 50th over of the innings, St Catherine were still in a precarious position at 269 for six, however, another young player stepped up big time as former West Indies youth captain Ramaal Lewis hobbled his way to 62 from 71 balls to inch the Saints close to the title.

Lewis, who was carrying an injury, hit three fours and three sixes as he took St Catherine over the line to huge cheers from their fans in the George Headley Stand.

The fall of his wicket with the score of 333 saw both umpires converging, and it was then that the game was called off, with wicket-keeper Darnel McCallum not out on 25. He hit three fours and a six.

Left-arm spinners Paul Harrison and Harty toiled for the ‘Tigers’ by picking up four and three wickets, respectively, but in the end, a good batting surface coupled with an enterprising reply from the visitors saw the trophy heading to the parish of St Catherine.

Earlier, Kingston CC, who resumed the final day on 290 for seven, added another 29 runs, with Paul Harrison going on to contribute 21. Man of the match Royal ended with five wickets for 101 runs while captain Peat Salmon bagged three wickets for 53 runs.

Salmon, who picked up the tournament MVP award said the title was a fitting reward for some hard work that was put into this year’s competition.

“This win means a lot because it’s been a while since we have won the Senior Cup, and before the season started, we discussed that this title has eluded us for some time, and we made it a point of duty that this season is the season that we change that,” Salmon said.

Losing captain Akim Fraser could not hide his disappointment, having lost what he felt was a game they should have taken.

“It’s disappointing coming out on the losing end having batted all of the first day, and I felt the 319 we made was enough, but we didn’t bowl as well as we should, and we put some chances down, and a couple of things didn’t go our way. Congrats to St Catherine. They played well to get over the line,” Fraser said.