Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

It should be cricket, lovely cricket at Sabina Park today when Melbourne Cricket Club and St Catherine Cricket Club face off in the final of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) all-island limited overs cricket competition.

The match-up, which will begin at 9:30 a.m., will see reigning champions Melbourne with Carlton Baugh Jr, Donovan Pagon and Nikita Miller in their line-up, going up against reigning two-day champions St Catherine, who will look towards Tamar Lambert, Danza Hyatt, Shacoya Thomas and spinners Odean and Bevon Brown.

Important game

"We are the defending champions and we want to retain the trophy, as it is very important to us," said Donald McNaughton, manager of Melbourne.

Continuing, he said his team is balanced and prepared for the challenge of their long-time rivals.

"We are going out there to play the kind of cricket that we have been playing all season, that is to be patient and consistent and make as few mistakes as possible, and once we do that, I have no doubt that we will come out on top," stated McNaughton.

For Melbourne, who easily brushed aside Portland by nine wickets in the semi-finals, apart from Baugh, Pagan and Miller, much will be expected of in-form opener Damian Henry, young batsmen André McCarthy and Yannick Elliot and pacers Denver Passley and Sheldon 'Goaty' Smith.

As it relates to the Saints, who edged past St Elizabeth in their semi-final, in addition to Lambert, Hyatt, Thomas and the Browns, much will be expected of veteran Keith Hibbert and pacer André Russell.

"We will be playing against one of the top teams in the island, but we are confident we can get the double," said St Catherine coach Ephraim McLeod. "It would be the first time the club has ever done that and these players are looking to be part of history."