MANCHESTER Lions, led by schoolboy Triston Coleman, secured their first hold on the Jamaica Cricket Association JAM T20 crown by thrashing former winners St Catherine CC by 51 runs in the championship showpiece at Up Park Camp yesterday.

Coleman, a student at Cross Keys High in Manchester, showed the composure of a seasoned Twenty20 cricketer in smashing 62 to help his team to a competitive 147-9 in the allotted 20 overs.

Scores: Manchester CA 147-9 (20 overs); St Catherine CC 96 (13.4 overs).

The teenager, batting at number five, was comfortable on the back and front foot and was punishing to both pace and spin, sweetly timing six boundaries and four sixes in his 44-ball knock.

It was an innings which left his captain, Gary Graham, singing his praises for “stepping up and batting Manchester into a good position”.

Coleman was supported by Damion Bryce (23) and all-rounder Jamie Merchant, who chipped in with 17.

Bowling for St Catherine, Andre Russell was menacing in claiming 3-10 off four overs, while spinners Odean Brown and Stephan Casey finished with 3-29 and 1-23, respectively.

The ‘Saints’, chasing 148 required to add to titles won in 2009 and 2011, lost wickets regularly as the batsmen struggled against Manchester High School seamer Christopher Powell and were dismantled for 96.

The lanky bowler ended with 3-27 off four overs and was supported by Merchant with 3-17 off two overs and four balls. Another Manchester schoolboy, Nicholas Walters, was also effective in claiming 2-21.

Powell, had the St Catherine supporters worried from as early as the third over when he clean-bowled national opener Danza Hyatt (9) with the score 22-2.

With the destructive Russell, stepping to the crease at the fall of the third wicket, St Catherine knew they were still in it, but they were soon pegged back to 34-4 when the West Indies all-rounder hammered a catch to David Powell on the straight boundary off off-spinner Oshane Walters to be dismissed for seven.

Wayne Morgan briefly sparked with 22 and Brown hit 19 not out, but ultimately the loss of the early wickets proved to be too steep a climb for the Tamar Lambert-led St Catherine team.