MELBOURNE Cricket Club are the 2000 County Cricket champions.
Barbadian offspinner Winston Reid, playing in his first County Cricket game this season, had match figures of 12 for a mere 44 runs, to push Melbourne to a comfortable six-wicket win over defending champions Lucas at Nelson Oval.
The Derrymore Road team which had also won the Rothman's All-island title earlier this year, upstaged Surrey A who could only manage first innings points over Surrey B at Chedwin Park. Melbourne finished with 19 points, one ahead of Surrey A.
Scores: Lucas 93 all out (Andre Coley 39; Winston Reid 6-25) and 66 all out (Kevin Riley 31; Winston 6-19), Melbourne 129 for six declared (Robert Samuels 41 not out) and 30-4.
Rain had robbed Melbourne of valuable batting time on Saturday afternoon, forcing the end of play three hours before time with the visitors at 53 for three chasing 93 runs for first innings points.
Melbourne, resuming with Samuels (seven) and Donovan Pagon (five), declared their first innings at 129 for six, with captain Samuels scoring an unbeaten 41 which included two sixes and three fours.
Batting a second time, Lucas once again crumbled and were bundled out by Reid for a paltry 66, with the Barbadian grabbing six for 19 to add to his first innings haul of six for 25.
Only Kevin Riley with 31 got into double figures against Reid and Ray Stewart who took three for 25.
Set only 29 runs to win, Melbourne, racing against the weather lost four wickets in reaching their target.
AT CHEDWIN PARK: Leaders Surrey A just managed to gain first innings points from Surrey B in an exciting encounter.
Scores: Surrey A 252 for nine declared (Keith Hibbert 76, Howard Copeland 41; Harlon Haye 3-62, Sadique Phillips 3-70), Surrey B 227 all out (Lloyd Black 80 not out, Raymond Ferguson 57; Copeland 4-59 ).
Resuming on 153 for five with Renford Pinnock Jnr. on four and Copeland on one, Surrey A added another 99 runs with Pinnock (11), Copeland, Bevan Brown (17) and Denville McKenzie (24) adding useful runs before the declaration.
In reply, Surrey B lost the wicket of Brenton Parchment early to be in a spot of bother at five for one, after he edged pacer Warren Medwynter to Keith Hibbert behind the stumps after scoring only one.
However the aggressive Raymond Ferguson and David Bernard Jnr. added 54 runs for the second wicket before the latter was caught and bowled by Jermaine Lawson for 25.
Ferguson who hit three sixes and two fours in his attacking knock edged Copeland to Hibbert to make it 112 for four and it looked as if Surrey B would fall well short of their target.
However, a blazing 48-ball undefeated 80 by Black which included seven fours and four sixes, almost took his team home. In the end Surrey B, fell 25 runs short when Sadique Phillips was run out, attempting a second run to give Black the strike.
