Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
Eltham's Schacoya Thomas celebrates his triple century against St. Catherine in the Grace Shield Premier League final at Melbourne Oval, St. Andrew yesterday. - JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ELTHAM'S OPENING batsman Schacoya Thomas blasted his way into the record books yesterday with a magnificent unbeaten triple century.
On the second day of their three-day Grace Shield Premier League final against St. Catherine at Melbourne Oval, the 16-year-old Thomas struck 324 not out as Eltham took total control of the match.
Eltham scored an urban high schoolboy record total in a final of 552 for five declared, beating the previous best of 406 made by Campion against St. Jago in 1988 at Sabina Park.
RAIN HALTS PLAY
At the end, St. Catherine were reeling at 154 for five when rain stopped play at 4:45 p.m.
Fourteen-year-old spinner Kinopaul Sailman has so far taken 3-36 for Eltham, this including the prize wicket of Rasheed Outar for three.
Earlier, Thomas, 193 overnight, and Matthew Stewart, 64, added another 37 runs to their partnership of 203 upon resumption yesterday.
However, despite losing Stewart for 83, leg before to Rohan Franklyn at 396, Thomas, who had already reached his double century, remained in the same belligerent form.
The right-hander was dropped twice in the 290s by Shonald Wilson, but he had already broken Carlton Baugh's urban high school individual record of 280.
The fourth former at four-year-old Eltham High School never gave up and was rewarded for his persistence when he drove Nicholas Gordon through the covers for a single to bring up the triple
century.
With lunch less than 20 minutes away, Eltham's captain, Kishan Shattock, decided against an early declaration which allowed Thomas to continue his record-breaking ways.
Immediately after he brought up his triple century he proceeded to show scant respect for the bowling and when he hit Shawn-Lee Earl back over his head to the long-on boundary for four, Holmwood's Ricardo Powell's High School record of 306, made against Bellefield High in 1998, was
history.
Thomas, who took the first wicket to fall for St. Catherine, said it was when he reached 200 that he aimed for the triple ton and history.
"When I reached 250, they told me the (schoolboy) record was 306 and I just worked hard and pushed on for it," Thomas said.
"It's a great achievement to get those runs, it helped out the team a lot," he said while promising better performances in the future.
Thomas, who batted for nine hours and faced 383 deliveries in which he struck 39 fours and two sixes, said things were easy in the middle.
KEEPING FOCUSSED
"It was easy because all I had to do was just wait on the bad deliveries and remain focussed," he said. Eltham's coach, Oral Simpson, was full of praise for Thomas.
"I need to congratulate Schacoya Thomas on the excellent innings that he played, and all the other batsmen that supported him," Simpson said.
Simpson also believes he has things covered. "The only thing can stop us from lifting the 2005 Premier League trophy is the rain. All we need to do is to come out and play positive."
St. Catherine's coach, Stanford Hudson, still remains hopeful, despite 398 runs behind with five wickets in hand.
When asked if he believed it was all over going into the final day, he replied: "No, Eltham will have to get five wickets tomorrow and it's not over."
