Excelsior take control of Spaulding Cup

THERE ARE days to go in the ISSA All-Island Spaulding Cup but Excelsior High School, who are up against Manchester High School, certainly seem in a hurry.

Batting first, Excelsior raced to 218 all out in just shy of 53 overs before bowling out Manchester for 71 in 23.5. Excelsior are now 82-4, batting a second time in an extremely eventful first day.

Excelsior looked in great shape to start the day, getting to 120 without loss before the mother of all collapses saw them adding less than 100 runs for the loss of all 10 wickets.

Opener David Dewar got them off to a great start, scoring 81 from just 53 deliveries, while his opening partner Jamare Dailey was no slouch either, getting to 41 from just 43.

When Dewar fell to the bowling of Matthew Morgan, and Dailey was bowled by Brian Barnes, things went downhill fast, with just Cavan Malcolm, 20 not out, putting up any resistance.

Barnes would end with 3-32 while Kelon Jones had the remarkable figures of 2-3. There was a wicket apiece for Rasheed Harriott, 1-38, and Barrington Simpson, 1-31.

Manchester would have taken that given the way the game started, but quickly realised that the 218 was fool’s gold when the Excelsior attack was taken into consideration.

Kevoy Williams, 19 not out, was the best Manchester could muster in their first innings against the bowling of Michael Clarke, 4-23, and Demarco Scott, 4-25.

The usually dangerous Tamarie Redwood got in on the action with 1-16, to leave the Manchester innings in tatters.

Batting a second time, Dewar scored 32 and Dailey, 36, while Scott fell for a duck, and Justin Aaron got to 14 before he was out leg before wicket to Morgan. Barnes has, so far, taken 3-22.

Excelsior now lead by 229 with six second-innings wickets intact and all of two days to play.

That position has made Excelsior coach Kirkland Bailey a confident man.

“We have already asked them to make more than we asked in the first innings, so the objective tomorrow [today] is just to bat until lunch and see how much we amass from there,” said Bailey.

Manchester coach Barry Barnes knows his side is behind the eight ball but believes with nothing left to lose, the game is certainly not over yet.

“Excelsior are on top. I think they are ahead based on the way we batted in the first innings but don’t call the game yet. I know they are ahead but I have nothing more to lose. We need to get these guys out as early as possible tomorrow [today] and make a try of it. This is a final.”