Rural Titans battle for ISSA Super 8 final berth

THE FINAL four teams in this year’s ISSA/TVJ Super 8 T20 competition will battle today at Sabina Park to decide who will make it to the final at the Sir P Oval in Clarendon on Saturday.

The opening semifinal at 9:30 a.m. will see Zone B winners Tacky going up against Zone A runners-up Clarendon College after which double champions and Zone A winners Manchester High will lock horns with Zone B runners-up St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS).

The opening fixture pits a confident Tacky side that will be banking on their top run-getter Trevaun Williams along with Aan Ennis, Javere Green and Jordan Pinnock who is also expected to come up big with the ball, having snared five wickets for just four runs in their last competitive encounter against St George’s College.

Clarendon College will hope Kenardo Cameron can come up trumps with both bat and ball along with Tequan Roberts and Shakiel Walters.

All eyes will, however, be on the second fixture with Headley Cup champions Manchester High School expected to face a stern test from rivals STETHS.

The Barry Barnes-coached Manchester side includes a powerful batting lineup inclusive of batsman Matthew Morgan along with national under-19 captain Brian Barnes as well as national under-15 captain Demario Hall.

Manchester’s coach Barry Barnes is keen for his boys to get the job done.

“We have been playing some good cricket this season and what we have done was to rotate the batting order in the last game to give some of the other players a knock and so we will be better prepared for our next opponents,” said Barnes.

The Karl Wright-coached STETHS are equally confident that they can pull off what, on paper, would seem an upset, especially with the inclusion of West Indies youth fast bowler Deshawn James and batsman Odane Binns in their lineup.

“It’s been a long, hard season and we hope to give a good account of ourselves seeing that this is the final trophy at stake.”