Melbourne's Llewellyn Meggs hits the ball over long on during his innings of 93 yesterday in their Captial and Credit one-day semi-final against St. Elizabeth. Looking on is 'St. Bess' keeper Shane Powell. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

MELBOURNE WILL defend their Capital & Credit Merchant Bank All-island cricket crown against Kensington next weekend at Chedwin Park, most likely.

The two clubs booked their places in the final after scoring impressive victories yesterday.

Melbourne defeated St. Elizabeth by 131 runs while Kensington surprised league and challenge champions St. Catherine by seven wickets.

At Kensington Park: Melbourne led by half centuries from Llewellyn Meggs and West Indies player Donovan Pagon scored 316 for nine off their allotted 50 overs.

St. Elizabeth were dismissed for 185 in 38.4 overs.

Pagon, 80, and opener Damion Jacobs, 45, posted 80 runs for the second wicket before Meggs came to the crease and top scored with 93.

Conroy Miller, 3-63, Wayne Simpson, 2-58, and Chris Dyer, 2-54, were the primary wicket-takers for St. Bess.

When St. Elizabeth batted, despite losing Marlon Miller for 10, Damion Ebanks, 31, and Shane Powell, 37, added 80 runs for the second wicket and their team was cruising on 90 for one, but disaster soon struck and they slipped to 164 for nine. McCarthy ended with 4-44, Nikita Miller, 2-22, and Jacobs, 2-20.

At Elletson Road: Daren Powell and David Bernard Jr. carried their team to victory.

Powell first took 4-35 and, along with Robert Haynes, 2-38, bowled out St. Catherine for 213 in 49.3 overs.

Tamar Lambert top scored for St. Catherine with 64. Junior Stewart, 43 not out, and Keith Hibbert, 31, supported him.

In reply, St. Catherine raced to 218-3 in 45.3 overs.

Bernard Jr., who hit the last ball of the match for six, ended up undefeated on 77. Ranville Brown, 49, and Maurice Kepple, 44, had earlier given Kensington a good start.