Defending champions Melbourne, St Catherine CC and St Elizabeth made good of their favourites' tag as they registered quarter-finals victories yesterday in the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) limited-overs championships.

Melbourne pacer Sheldon Smith (left) bowls a delivery against Westmoreland in the JCA limited-overs championship game at Melbourne Oval yesterday. Smith took 4-64 as Melbourne won by 216 runs. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

The trio is joined by Portland, who came away with a surprise win over St Ann at home.

Melbourne's captain Carlton Baugh Jnr and Shawn Findlay of St Elizabeth scored centuries in their teams' impressive wins. But St Catherine, considered favourites to meet Melbourne in the final, struggled badly before dispatching Manchester at Chedwin Park.

At Melbourne Oval: Baugh smashed a characteristically cavalier 102 from 71 balls to lead the hosts to a 216-run triumph over Westmoreland.

Opener Damion Henry (10x4s, 6x6s) smashed 95 from 80 deliveries while sharing in a 60-run partnership with Baugh, as Melbourne recovered from an early collapse. Baugh, who blazed eight fours and six sixes, increased the run-rate following the departure of Henry, while he was joined by the hard-hitting Andre McCarthy.

The pair added 127 in quick time with McCarthy getting 51 from 54 balls. Melbourne were well set by the time both batsmen left the crease, but the tailenders pushed the tally to an imposing 357-7 off 50 overs.

Jason Dawes, the promising West Indies fastbowler in his first competitive match coming off a long injury, ended with 2-61 from 10 overs. Dawes got the early breakthrough when he had Nikita Miller (5), who was needlessly promoted up the order, edging to wicketkeeper Andre Fletcher, while two more wickets fell thereafter.

Faced with a daunting target, Westmoreland got off to a shaky start, losing three early wickets. The game swung decisively for the hosts when former national youth captain and Westmoreland leader, Derval Green (16), was brilliantly run-out by Henry from mid-off.

Green, along with the Grenadian Fletcher, looked settled and seemed intent on making a game of the situation. But after adding 40 runs for the fourth wicket, Henry's accurate throw found Green short of his ground.

Fletcher tried desperately to carry on the fight, but he too was later outfoxed by a slower delivery from Sheldon Smith, who recorded match figures of 4-64 from 10 overs. Fletcher topscored with 54 from 49 balls, inclusive of 10 fours, as the visitors were all out for 141 in 31.1 overs. Smith received support from spinner Miller, who bagged 2-18. Melbourne will play Portland in the semifinals.

At St Ann: Despite having West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall in their line-up, St Ann went down by 28 runs to Portland, who up until last Thursday were uncertain they would have played in the quarter-finals.

Batting first, Portland made 203-8 from 50 overs with Oliver Walker (83) topscoring against Andre Clarke 3-47 and Christopher Hamilton, 2-30.

St Ann in reply were dismissed for 175 in 40.2 overs with Orville Pennant (46) and Marlon Pinnock (28) making the most runs. Marshall (0) failed to trouble the score as he was run-out in the second over of the innings. Herman Henry, 3-43, and Omar Clarke, 2-26, were the leading bowlers for the visitors, who will meet St Catherine CC in the other semifinal at a venue to be announced.

At Chedwin Park: St Catherine, who are eyeing an unprecedented double this season, made heavy weather of three-wicket victory over Manchester. In a match reduced to 30 overs per side because of a soggy outfield, the visitors were ordered to take first strike.

The ploy worked perfectly as Manchester were bowled out for 71 after 28 overs. Pacer Andre Russell (3-6) triggered the early demise of the visitors, before leg-spinner Odean Brown (3-18) and Aaron Daley Jnr (2-10) ran through the rest of the batting.

Manchester's seam bowler Dwight Stewart (3-12 from six overs) rocked the Saints' top order, including the prized scalps of Keith Hibbert (5), captain Tamar Lambert (2) and Danza Hyatt (9). The Saints struggled towards the small target but a topscore of 14 from Shacoya Thomas and extras amounting to 14 enabled them to overhaul the deficit, reaching 72-7 with 17 balls remaining.

At Alpart: West Indies one-day player Shawn Findlay smashed an unbeaten 104 before disciplined bowling from the St Bess bowlers guided the hosts to a 41-run win over Kensington.

Findlay, along with fellow West Indies batsman Brenton Parchment (59), propelled the Sharks to 239-5 from 50 overs against Hanif Palmer, 3-45, and David Bernard Jnr, 2-28.

Half-centuries from Ranville Brown (63) and Bernard Jnr (53) carried Kensington within striking distance, but the visitors were restricted to 198-9 from 50 overs.

St Elizabeth skipper Ainsley Goss (2-25) and Alton Beckford (2-26) did the early damage, before Chris Dyer, in the last over of the match, sealed their place by claiming two wickets for one run.

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