Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
AN UNBEATEN 90-RUN third wicket partnership between Mel Wint and Wayne Cuff led defending champions Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to a seven-wicket victory over Boys' Town in their opening round Capital and Credit Merchant.
Replying to Boys' Town's 144 for five in the rain-reduced 32 over match, Wint (49) and Cuff (42) rode their luck to guide their team to 161 for two after the Duckworth/Lewis system was introduced with six deliveries left.
JDF had looked set for a crushing win after their opening pair of Warren Medwynter (37) and Wint gave their team a good start, which was also aided by Boys' Town's poor fielding - Julian Chisser even missed a simple catch from Medwynter early in the innings off captain Dave Legister.
However, Legister struck back two overs later to removed Medwynter, caught by 17-year-old Vere schoolboy Duran White at deep cover. Marlon Kennedy joined Wint but did not trouble the scorers, going for a quick single, the number three batsman was found short of his ground.
At that time, Wint, who earlier had problems against pacer Gregory Nation, finally got settled and along with man-of-the-match Cuff and poor bowling by Boys' Town brought JDF back into the game. Cuff hit offspinner Shane Powell over long-off to end the match in style for the national cricket champions.
Earlier, Boys' Town won the toss and electing to bat, opened with White and Powell. Powell who missed the entire two-day competition was the first to go, caught pulling at square leg by Marvin Wallace off pacer Medwynter (1-27), Boys' Town were 16 for one.
Former Jamaica youth player Omar A. Campbell joined his Vere teammate White and the two took the score to 79 in an 63-run second wicket stand. After some beautiful shots in his innings, White perished to wicketkeeper Wint off Cuff.
Boys' Town then slipped to 97 for four when rain stopped play at 11:47 with Campbell (40) and Chisser (zero) at the crease. On the resumption, Campbell took charge knowing that there were only seven overs left. He was left not out on 62, in an innings which included four fours and two sixes off 85 deliveries.
AT KAISER: St. Ann 265 for eight off 47 overs (Xavier Marshall 71, Karl McDonald 38; Sean James 3-47, Godfrey Lewis 2-39) beat Trelawny 120 off 34 overs (James 48; Richard Francis 3-42, McDonald 2-4, Sherman Gordon 2-6) by 145 runs.
AT PORT ESQUIVEL: St. Catherine CA 144 off 41.2 overs (Delroy Gilbert 34, Lascelles Davis 28, Lloyd Rattray 20; Marvin McKain 3-35, Andrew Richardson 2-28) lost to Kingston 145 for two in 31.3 overs (Nicholas Austin 58 not out, Matthew Sinclair 39, Ricardo Powell 28 not out, Rattray 1-24) by eight wickets.
AT CHEDWIN PARK: St. Catherine CC 265 for eight (Danza Hyatt 89, Tamar Lambert 54; Wayne Billings 2-57) beat St. Elizabeth 218 all out in 48.3 overs (Lincoln Brown and Billings 59 each, Jerome Taylor 39; Lambert 6-30) by 47 runs.
AT EBONY PARK: St. Thomas 194 for nine off 47 overs (Brian Murphy 56 not out, Fitz Gerald Anderson 37, Christopher Morgan 31; Allen Reid 2-21, Hamlet Stewart 2-33, Collis Johnson 2-44) lost to Clarendon 198 for nine in 43.4 overs (Barrington Brown 71; Murphy 2-26, Ryan Brown 2-29) by one wicket.
AT FOLLY: Westmoreland 207 all out in 48 overs (Evon McInnis 64, Cleveland Davidson 58; Harlon Haye 3-17, Garfield Grant 3-25) crushed Portland 53 all out off 25 overs (Haye 18, McInnis 4-19, Glenville Andrews 3-13) by 154 runs.
