By Richard Bryan, Freelance WriterMANDEVILLE, Manchester:
A SUPERB BATTING performance along with the prospect of rain are required today if Holmwood are to stop another Headley Cup triumph for rural schoolboy cricket's undisputable kingpins, St. Elizabeth Technical, on today's final day of play in the WILCO sponsored final at Alpart.
Rain after tea, along with fading evening light, stopped action for the day with the Christiana school in deep trouble at 34 for three chasing 264 the defending champions put up in their first innings. The forecast is as important to Holmwood as the capabilities of their long batting order, as nearly an hour and a half of play was lost on the first two days.
A lot will be on the shoulders of Holmwood captain Chacon Chambers who is unbeaten on 11, and all-rounder David Powell who is yet to score. Despite their position, Holmwood would still have been happy with their performance in the field yesterday as they claimed claimed the last six wicket for 106 runs.
Under the gun when STETHS started the day on an imposing 158-2, Holmwood struck an early blow when Uriel Samuels removed Davian Davidson for just the addition of one run to his overnight 68, to make the score 163-3. Vinod Woolcock joined Shawn Findlay, who started the day on 49, and the two added 45 before Findley was snapped up at silly mid-off (205-4) to give David Powell his first wicket of the innings.
Findley top scored with 77 which included seven fours and a lovely flick off his pads off Samuels over mid-wicket for six. Woolcock (24) followed shortly after, lifting a full toss from spinner Aden Frew to Chambers at mid-on to make it 211-5.
All-rounder Joseph Palmer contributed only six before he was caught by Powell to provide Samuels with his third wicket but at lunch, the STETHS innings total looked imposing at 245-6. The loss of Howard Powell for 22 for only one run on the resumption, precipitated a quick end for the tail as Frew finished with good figures of 4-56, ably supported by Samuels (3-50) and 2-47 by the left-arm spinner Powell.
At bat about an hour before the tea interval, Holmwood started disastrously losing Howard Jemeson for a duck, leg before to Jerome Taylor without a run on the board. Donald Tomlinson batted positively to score 21 before slashing at Wayne Simpson's third ball and was brilliantly caught at the second attempt by Findley at slip with the score at 31-2.
The biggest blow to Holmwood was to come in the next over from the other end when their top performer Donovan Sinclair, in an uncharacteristic fashion, attempted an atrocious drive with his head up to the heavens and was bowled for one by Joseph Palmer.
