Innswood topple KC for KO crown

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Innswood High's magnificent season continued yesterday, when they toppled Kingston College by four wickets in the final of the urban area ISSA/Jamaica International Insurance Company (JIIC) Limited Overs Knockout competition, at Melbourne Oval.

Set a mere 103 to win after restricting the North Street standard bearers to 102 off 33.5 overs in a game that was reduced to 45-over-a-side due to damp overnight conditions, Innswood scored 104 for the loss of six wickets.

It was Innswood's second title of the season, after dethroning Eltham High in the final of the Grace Shield league competition.

The victory also ensured that the St Catherine team remain on course to cop the coveted treble, when they face rural area Headley Cup league and limited overs champions, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), at STETHS in the national Spalding Cup play-off.

"To restrict KC to 102 in a final was a very good bowling effort," said Innswood coach, Kirk Gordon.

"We then had a hiccup in the first part our innings, but the middle order was called upon for the first time this season and they responded," he added.

Innswood won the toss and invited KC to bat. However, after failing to properly assess the conditions, KC found themselves in trouble early at 27-five, from which they failed to recover.

Pacer Dwain Pusey, who took four for11 and off-spinner Peat Salmon, three for 16, were Innswood's main wicket takers. Batting for KC, Demoy Williams, 22, made most runs.

Innswood, in their reply, started shakily and at one stage were 63 for five. But an unbroken seventh wicket stand of 34 between Terrence Brown, 17 not out, and Jermaine Williams, 12 not out, pulled them through.

West Indies Under-19 and Jamaica leg-spinner Akeem Dewar, who helped to trigger Innswood's minor collapse, ended with figures of two for 24 off his maximum nine overs, while off-spinner and captain, Jevaughn Buchanan, ended with three for 33.

"If we had made 75 runs more we would have played a better game. But credit to Innswood, they benefitted from inserting us on a very slow wicket and never really allowed us back into the game," said KC's coach Anshuman Kentish.