Dominant Excelsior trample St Jago for Grace Shield title

EXCELSIOR HIGH School, led by dominant performances with bat and ball, claimed the ISSA First Global Bank Grace Shield cricket title yesterday at Sabina Park.

After similar dominance on Tuesday’s day one, where Excelsior scored 337 and had St Jago reeling at 133 for eight, the champions returned yesterday to not just bowl out the runners up for 157, but rack up 292 for nine declared and dismiss St Jago again, this time for just 52.

The 420-run win came on the back of David Dewar’s 91 and Demarco Scott’s 70. Both players were scoring their second half-centuries of the game, Dewar having notched 59 in the first innings, and Scott slotting in with 65.

Needing 473 for an unlikely win, St Jago did not get close, thanks to the bowling of Tamarie Redwood, 5-15, and Michael Clarke, 3-9.

St Jago coach Joseph Lemmie was a disappointed man.

“I must say I’m very disappointed. Excelsior played the smarter cricket of the two teams. I must say they stuck to their task, my boys didn’t.

“My boys didn’t listen to the instructions. I think Excelsior outplayed us in the first session of the game and we never recovered from there,” said Lemmie.

Kirkland Bailey, Excelsior coach, was matter-of-fact about the victory.

“Comprehensive, clinical performance by the Excelsior cricket team,” he said.

“We started off dominating the first session on the first day, amassing 223 for three. That would have shocked St Jago and would have had them in awe,” he said.

According to Bailey, the dominance meant St Jago crumbled in the end, especially given his team’s traditional strength with the ball.