Richard Bryan, Mandeville
RAIN, AS well as a better batting results by St. Elizabeth yesterday, ensured a draw at Kirkvine but not before defending champions Manchester pocketed first innings honours in their Supreme Venutres Super Cup match.
These three points carried Manchester to 22 points and was achieved in the first session of yesterday's play when the champions added a further 66 runs after resuming on 151 for six wickets.
However, it was not without the scare that the good work of Donovan Sinclair on the previous day - with an aggressive 69 and three wickets - might have gone unappreciated.
West Indies pacer Jerome Taylor, under the watchful eyes of the newly-appointed national senior coach Junior Bennett, bowled 25 overs to collect a third wicket, while Wayne Simpson had Damain Sangster caught by Howard Powell for a duck as Manchester added just nine runs to be at 160 for 8 and a further 11 runs away from St. Elizabeth first innings score.
However, Stephan Patterson (32) and Andre Dwyer (24) batted sensibly and aggressively for a 49-run ninth-wicket partnership.
When St. Elizabeth batted a second time both openers Damion Ebanks (4) and Marlon Miller (10) fell cheaply to the pace of Patterson. Wicketkeeper batsman Shane Powell then provided stability and aggression in a top score of 73 (4 fours 2 sixes from 115 balls), before he was bowled by Boris Hutchinson at a 136 for four. The onset of rain brought an early tea and subsequently the end of the match with St. Elizabeth on 141 for five and a lead of 75.
