FORMER champions Melbourne CC are in a commanding position against visitors St Mary CA heading into today’s

second and final day’s play in the quarter-final of the Jamaica

Cricket Association (JCA) Senior

Cup competition.

Melbourne’s spinners combined to destroy St Mary for a paltry 124 all out yesterday at Melbourne Oval before the home team’s batsmen chipped in with useful knocks to close the day on 275-6.

Scores: St Mary 124; Melbourne

275-6.

Play is set to start at 10:00 am.

Batting for St Mary, Robert Weir top-scored with 56 off 83 balls, including six boundaries and two fours, while the next best score was from tail ender Gihon Murdock, who made 13. Weir also shared in a 43-run stand for the second wicket with opener Takeem Lowe (12).

Wrist-spinner Damion Jacobs grabbed 4-22 off 13 overs for Melbourne, while left-arm spinner Christopher Lamont took 3-23 off 10 overs and four balls.

Melbourne’s opening batsman Jon Ross Campbell (46) and Tarique White (26) put on 63 runs for the first wicket to lay a solid foundation, before middle-order batsmen Jacobs (43), Andre McCarthy (49) and Tafari Williams (43) piled the pressure on the visiting team.

Tezwayne Creary, Murdock and Ricardo Thompson took one

wicket each.

In another match at Up Park Camp, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) hold the advantage against Hanover heading into day two.

Scores: Jamaica Defence Force 260; Hanover 67-4.

Batting first, the JDF scored a competitive 260 all out thanks to decent contributions from opener Melvin Wallace (44) and number three batsman Joseph Palmer (43).

Wallace also shared in a opening stand of 61 runs with Mel Wint, who made 32.

Spinner Damion Davidson snared

3-18 off five overs, while Omar Campbell and Kerone Lewis took two wickets each.

In reply, JDF spinner Akbar Moodie grabbed 3-24 to restrict Hanover to

67-4.

Darren Gordon has top-scored so far with 24.

At the Manchester High playfield, a wet pitch meant only 11 overs of play was possible in the match between three-time defending champions Manchester CA and visitors Kensington CC.

Manchester will resume today at

25-0.

Scores: Manchester CA 25-0.

At the Alpart Sports Complex in Nain, the hosts St Elizabeth are locked in a keen tussle with former winners St Catherine CC.

Scores: St Elizabeth 223; St Catherine CC 25-2.

Batting first, St Elizabeth made 223 thanks to Kenroy Williams’ score of 77 and Kerry Holness’s knock of 53. National wrist-spinner Odean Brown grabbed 4-43 for St Catherine.

In reply St Catherine stuttered to 25-2 as injury-prone West Indies pacer Jerome Taylor and national youth fast bowler Omar Samuels took a wicket

a-piece.