- RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
St. Catherine Cricket Club's Jermaine Lawson (left) shares a light moment with JDF's Mel Wint in their Supreme Ventures Super Cup match at Up Park Camp yesterday. Wint went on to make a century.WITH RAIN playing an integral role in this weekend's final round of matches in the Supreme Ventures Super Cup, St. Catherine CC look set to be crowned champions of the new league format.
The Saints, needing to get at least first innings points from Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) at Up Park Camp, were well on their way after closing on 80 without loss when rain stopped play at 5:05 p.m.
Danza Hyatt, who has so far struck seven fours off 52 balls for his 53, and Dean Morgan, 30, will continue St. Catherine CC's fight for first innings points when play resumes at 10:00 this morning.
The Saints are on 33 points, two more than title-chasing Kingston and Manchester (31 each).
Earlier, captain Mel Wint, a former national youth player led from the front with an unbeaten 101, but the soldiers' middle order failed to stand firm.
GOOD PARTNERSHIPS
Wint, who hit 10 fours off 220 deliveries in more than four and a half hours at the crease, shared in three fairly good partnerships 73 for the first wicket with Melvin Wallace, 34, then 35 with Breston Reid, 26, and Howard Copeland, 20, for the fourth and ninth wickets.
Tamar Lambert was the chief destroyer for St. Catherine, finishing with 5-61 off 24 overs. Odean Brown supported him with 2-56.
AT KIRKVINE: Only 32 overs were possible as rain curtailed the efforts of Manchester and Kingston to assert themselves towards an outright victory.
Manchester helped themselves to 117-1 after Kingston, with their quartet of fast bowlers, had won the toss. Gary Graham and Daniel Ricketts then batted with relative ease against the pace of Audley Sanson, Andrew Richardson, Jowayne Robinson and Fabian Forbes to post Manchester's best start of the season - 93.
That stand was broken in the 24th over when the free-scoring Graham was caught on the square-leg boundary by Robinson off the bowling of legspinner Kerry Scott.
AT ST. MARY SPORTS CLUB: St. Mary, desperately in need of an outright win, are within two runs of taking first innings points from Lucas.
Batting first, Lucas were dismissed for 134 as only Junior McKenzie, 54 not out, offered any resistance against Claudious Thompson (5-32).
In reply, St. Mary closed on 133-8. Dervin Morant, 34, and Andre Creary, 24, have so far top scored against Omar Burke (3-33) and Chadwick Walton (3-45).
AT ALLAN RAE OVAL: Rain dominated the day's play and could affect St. Elizabeth's chances of a place in the Challenge semi-finals and Westmoreland's hopes of avoiding relegation.
In the little time possible, after two stoppages, Westmoreland were 97-4.
AT MELBOURNE OVAL: Melbourne have placed one foot in the Challenge semi-finals with first innings points over relegated Portland.
Replying to Portland's 110, Melbourne closed on 171-5.
Carlton Baugh, 59, and Andre McCarthy, 33, will resume Melbourne's hunt for quick runs this morning.
