THE third season of the semi-professional Jamaican Super Cricket League bowls off today with defending champions Manchester Lions going up against a formidable St Catherine Saints unit at Kirkine.

Manchester will rely heavily on national respresentative Krishmar Santokie, captain Gary Graham and young batsman Zeniffe Fowler to withstand the expected onslaught from the former champions, who boast good batsmen in the form of Jamaican senior team captain Tamar Lambert and former national wicketkeeper batsman Keith Hibbert.

The Saints, meantime, will rely on leg-spinner Gavin Wallace and offspinner Bevan Brown to shoulder the bowling in the absence of another leg-spinner Odean Brown and promising all- rounder Andre Russell. Brown is a part of the West Indies ‘A’ set-up, while Russell is playing league cricket in England.

In another interesting match-up, last season’s runners-up, the Carlton Baugh-led Melbourne Kangaroos will host a St Ann Cutters outfit with former youth star Xavier Marshall in their ranks. Despite his presence, St Ann will be hard-pressed to contain a balanced Melbourne team which features out-of-favour West Indies batsman Donavan Pagon, Yanique Elliot, Andre McCarthy and former national youth fast bowler, Jowayne Robinson.

At the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, the Buccaneers will host Kingston Tigers, who have acquired the youthful pair of Kemar Marshall and Nkrumah Bonner.

Westmoreland Wizards will visit western neighbours St Elizabeth at the STETHS Sports Complex in yet another marquee clash in this first round. The home team will start as favourites with the likes of experienced national players Brentan Parchment and Shawn Findlay in their line-up.