West Indies Under-19 and Holmwood batsman Andre McCarthy in action during yesterday's Grace/Headley Cup semi-final match at Chedwin Park. McCarthy made 13 and took two for 40. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER.
IT'S ANOTHER Holmwood, St. Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) cricket final.
Defending champions Holm-wood and St. Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) will contest the final of the rural area Grace/Headley Cup competition for the fifth straight year.
Both teams, Holmwood and STETHS, secured first innings honours against Titchfield and Mannings respectively to set up their seventh championship clash in nine years. The final will be played after the Easter break.
At Chedwin Park: Medium pacer Bruce Blackwood ended with impressive figures of five for seven off 9.4 overs to inspire Holmwood to their eighth final in nine years.
Resuming on 24 without loss, and chasing 314 for first innings honours, Titchfield found it hard to handle Blackwood, who bowled impressively in his second spell to capture all his wickets from 7.4 overs.
Young West Indies all-rounder Andre McCarthy supported with two for 40 as only Orlando Watson, 32, and Ronique Simpson, 15, who put on 29 for the first wicket, along with Robert Weir, 27, Garry Thompson, 13, and Brad Mornan, 10, reached double figures.
Opting for batting practice, Holmwood decided to give their lower order batsmen much needed time at the crease and fell for 159.
Sean Bennett made 68 not out.
AT ALPART: St. Elizabeth Technical predictably booked their final spot but perhaps easier than anticipated after Mannings were routed for 67 in 47.1 overs.
Nikoy Samuels who top-scored with 39 when STETHS batted emerged the bowling hero. He had excellent figures of 8 for 24 from 17 overs, bowling disciplined offspin.
With first innings achieved by 92 runs, STETHS opted for batting practice and the game was called off at 5:30pm after Ismael Parchment fell for 83 at 131 for three. Jonathan Barry earlier got 44.
Mannings which had kept St. Elizabeth to their overnight 159, batted with too much caution scoring less than two runs per over in the session before lunch. However, they would have given STETHS coach Junior Bennett a little to contemplate when they reached 53 for three, with Jerome Williams not out on 21. However, the game changed dramatically after lunch when Samuels with two wickets for 16 runs off 10 overs before the interval, claimed another six for just 14 runs from seven overs.
