D-day for Super League champs

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

It is still anybody's game heading into today's second and final day of the seventh and final round of matches in Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) Super League with defending champions Manchester Lions, Melbourne Kangaroos and St Catherine Saints, all in with a chance at the title.

In the feature clash, Manchester, playing away to Melbourne at Courtney Walsh Drive, were in a good position to claim first innings points over the hosts. In the secondary encounter, St Catherine, who are playing away to relegation-threatened Westmoreland Wizards, were well set to claim first innings, and possibly an outright win, which would land them the title.

Manchester lead the standings with 23 points, one more than Melbourne, and two ahead of St Catherine, with six points being awarded for an outright win, three for first innings, and one for a draw.

At Melbourne, the hosts elected to field after winning the toss and saw Manchester, led by 71 from opener Daniel Ricketts, 63 from captain Gary Graham, and 61 from Donovan Sinclair, pile up a challenging 344. Dwayne Thompson, 4-64 and Chris Lamont 3-64 were the leading wicket takers for Melbourne

Melbourne closed the day on 135-4. Sidelined West Indies middle order batsman Marlon Samuels made 23 from 49 balls.

St Catherine, who would triumph if they win outright, and the game at Melbourne Oval ends in a draw, were 122-4 at stumps in reply to Westmoreland's 203 at Little London.

Donovan Sinclair