Audley Boyd, Asst. Sport Editor

A solid all-round display led Montego Bay Cricket Club (MBCC) to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Overton Cricket Club in the opening game of the Lucille Lue Limited Overs competition, at Barnett Oval, St. James yesterday.

With the exception of an outstanding knock from Vinord Woolcock, Overton, which decided to take first strike after winning the toss, struggled throughout and were skittled out for 118 in only 22 overs - less than half of the allotted 45.

In reply, MBCC coasted to a relatively easy win, totaling 120 for two off just 19 .1 overs. The match was the first in the new St. James competition to honour Lue, who had served the sport in the parish with distinction. However, Overton would love to have marked the occasion with a better performance as only two of their batsmen registered double figures - one barely - in a dismal display.

Openers Andre Brown and Vivian Thompson were back in the pavilion with only five runs on the board, prompting the arrival of Woolcock whose batting contrasted like chalk and cheese to that of his team-mates, as he beat the ball to all parts of the ground for a 44-ball 67 - the game's highest score. It was laced with 12 fours and one six.

Even in the midst of that harsh caning exercise though, none of Woolcock's team-mates provided support at the other end, resulting in a brisk procession to and from the pavilion with Royan Jones (11) being the only other batter to surpass 10.

Even the opposing team's skipper, Samuel Evans, did not expect the debacle.

"We'd have expected to be chasing more runs, probably 180, 190 from that team," he admitted. Nontheless, he was happy for the win.

"To be honest, it was a very very good start," he said. "It was well needed, it was a well-deserved win.

"We have a few faults that we need to iron out. We're going back into the training camp to iron it out because we have two weeks break."

Gary Campbell got most wickets for MBCC, claiming three for 25, while captain Samuel Evans (two for 11) and Oneil English (two for 32) provided good support.

MoBay CC lost top batsman Omar Romans for five with only 17 runs on the board but there would be no more hiccups in the chase as Norris Taylor and Rohan Ruthland steadied the innings with a second-wicket stand worth 60. When Taylor departed for 29, scored off just 25 balls, Evans (30 not out) and Ruthland (35 n.o.) combined to take their team safely home without further loss of a wicket, in an unbroken third-wicket partnership that yielded 49 runs.

Nathan Reid, 1-22 and Rohan Jones, 1-15, off four overs apiece, were the wicket-takers.

The competition continues next Sunday with Overton looking to rebound with a clash against Irwin Cricket Club at the same venue.

"We need to apply ourselves better in the next game," noted Ainsworth Henry of Overton. "The batting and bowling, we didn"t apply ourselves, we did poorly today.

"But we see where we fell short, we know our mistakes."