Tony BeccaTHE first round of the Rothmans National Cricket Championship got under way over the weekend and with hardly a surprise, the promise is that it will be business as usual with the top teams too good for the rest and fighting among themselves for the honours.
With defending champions Melbourne winning first innings points over St. Catherine CC, the Jamaica Defence Force defeating St. Thomas, Lucas defeating Police, Kensington taking first innings points from Tivoli, and Kingston doing likewise against Boys' Town, there were no surprises in the Surrey Senior Senior Cup; and based on the results over the years, it was no surprise that Trelawny pipped St. James for first innings in the Cornwall Senior Cup and that St. Catherine Parish and Clarendon played to a draw in a rain-affected Middlesex Senior Cup match.
With St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland sharing the honours in 1999 when Westmoreland won the title, and with St. Elizabeth getting the better of Westmoreland in both mathes last year, the one possible surprise was Westmoreland's first innings lead over defending champions St. Elizabeth in the Cornwall Senior Cup fixture at Allan Rae Oval.
Although there was hardly a surprise as far as the results were concerned, the opening round was interesting.
It was interesting, not only because Tivoli, probably because of the rain, and Boys' Town denied Kensington and Kingston full points, but also because there were some good individual performances - some of which augur well for Jamaica's cricket, two of which suggest that there could be a surprise or two down the road.
Michael Millwood of Kingston scored 104 not out, Carl Wright of St. Elizabeth scored 126 not out, Nicholas Austin scored 93 for Kingston, Carlton Baugh Jnr, Donovan Pagon and Colin Fletcher of Melbourne batted well for 83, 55, and 66, Samuel Douglas scored 68 for Kensington, Roy McFarlane scored 55 for St. Thomas, Gary Campbell scored 51 for St. James, Orlando Baker scored 57 not out for Clarendon, and among the bowlers, Carlington Johnson took 13 wickets for 82 runs for Trelawny, veteran Errol Wilson starred for Kensington with nine for 45 in the first innings, Nick McFarlane took six for 72 in one innings for St. James, and Brenton Beckford enjoyed figures of five for 54 for St. Catherine Parish.
Apart from the performances of young Baugh, Pagon and McFarlane, the two performances to note were those of Boys' Town's Marlon Keating and Omar Campbell.
Keating scored 64 and Campbell 63 against Kingston in the second innings, they are both reasonably good batsmen, according to reports, they batted well, and before the season is over they could well inspire Boys' Town to performances which could knock off one or two of the fancied teams in the Surrey Senior Cup.
That would be a surprise, and in terms of their pride and their chances of winning the title, it would certainly hurt the team or teams which suffer at their hands. It would, however, be good for the competition - especially if it happens early.
