Four centuries highlight Senior Cup opening day

NATIONAL BATSMAN Tevin Gilzene scored the first century of the new Senior Cup season, as his 108 carried the Jamaica Defence Force to 311 for five on the opening day of their feature encounter against defending champions Melbourne Cricket Club at Up Park Camp.

With the encounter getting off to a late start because of a damp pitch, Gilzene defied the tough conditions and stroked 108, after the army men were asked to take the first strike.

Deethmar Anderson weighed in with 57, while Marlon Pinnock chipped in with 38 and Andre Fowler, 36 not out. There was a wicket each for Andre McCarthy, Steven Taylor, Michael Frew and Abhijai Mansingh.

At Maxfield Park Oval, Lionel Morant also scored a century, as his even unbeaten hundred helped Kingston CC to 410 for five declared against Kingston and St Andrew Cricket Association. West Indies batsman Brandon King made 89, with Jevaugh Buchanan getting 71 and national opener Kirk Mckenzie, 58. KSACA were then dismissed for 173, with national spinners Patrick Harty and Akim Fraser bagging five and three wickets, respectively.

Elsewhere, Maurice Harrow and Andrew Grant scored 131 and 119, respectively, to lead Police to 372 for six declared against Boys’ Town, who reached 123 for seven at stumps.

Meanwhile, in a bizarre day-one encounter at the Manley Horne Ground, home side St Elizabeth defeated St James by five wickets.

After winning the toss, St Elizabeth inserted St James, who were blown away for just 26 runs in 22 overs, with Lennox Simpson bagging five wickets for five runs and Joseph Brown grabbing four for eight. St James turned up late for the encounter and that may have affected their performance with the bat.

St Elizabeth also struggled with the bat, as they could only manage 75 in their first innings, with Linton Buchanan bagging six wickets for 37 runs and Orlando Christie three for 23.

St James fared a bit better in the second innings by getting to 91 all out with Christie top scoring with 29, against another five wickets for Simpson who finished with 10 in the contest.

St Elizabeth then clawed their way to 48 for five to earn victory.

Over at Noranda Bauxite, home side St Ann closed day one on 187 for eight in reply to G.C. Foster College’s first innings score of 82 all out. Gifton Wray has so far topped scored for St Ann with 63, with Damani Sewell getting 42.

Earlier, Christopher Lamont bagged four wickets for 26 runs and Kristoff Virgo three for eight, to help restrict the College men, who got 33 from N’Kala Tracey.

Over at Lucas, the home side could only manage to get 156 against the Mico College who reached 204 for three at the close.

Hanover will resume today on 143 for seven, replying to Westmoreland’s 226 all out, of which Okeeno Farquharson got 69 and Shanda Francis, 56. Bowling for Hanover, Andre Ramgeet took six for 30.