ELTHAM High School have taken charge on day two of the three-day ISSA Grace Shield final as they had Jamaica College on the back foot at 106 for six at Melbourne Cricket Oval yesterday.

Scores: (Eltham 173 & 142; Jamaica College 84 & 106-6).

Eltham, batting first on day one, were bowled down for 173, with Shane Cole 47 and their top batsman Ramone Francis 37 leading the way. Akim Fraser carried the bowling with seven for 43 and Gyasi Falconer taking two for 40.

Francis then returned to bag five for 34 to help restrict Jamaica College to a paltry 84. Jevel Innis took three for 36, with the other two wickets going via the run out route.

Eltham, after taking first innings points with a lead of 89 runs, began their second innings shakily as both their openers fell cheaply to the bowling of Courtney Dowdie. Francis, with a topscore of 55, tried to steady the ship, but after he got bowled by Akim Fraser, the batting slipped as they we’re bundled out for 142.

Fraser bagged five for 36 to end with a match haul of 12 for 79, while Jason Tapper and Courtney Dowdie shared two wickets each.

Jamaica College, requiring 232 for victory, were on the backfoot early when Courtney Dowdie went off the third ball of the first over when he was caught in the slip cordon by Ramone Ramsey off the bowling of Francis to leave the score at one wicket for one run.

It was then 16 for two when Romario Tomlin was adjuged leg-before-wicket to give Francis his second wicket.

Jason Tapper was then joined in the middle by Sherrick Davis and the two took the score to 36, before the rain put a stop to proceedings. They returned to the field 20 minutes later and were allowed one over and two balls before the tea interval with the score at 41 for two.

Tapper fell shortly after the re-start when he was caught by Francis off the bowling of Innis for 15 with the score at 59 for three. Jerome Barton fielding at bat pad had to leave the field when he got hit by a ball that was cracked by Davis.

Four runs later, Davis played one onto his stumps to end his innings at 30, with the score at 63 for four.

It became 66 for five when Fraser went for two after he played one back in the hands of Francis. Orane Tomlinson and Joshe Gray took the score to 92, before the latter went for eight when he was caught and bowled to give Francis his fifth wicket.

Orane Tomlinson, 31 not out, and Vanclive Parris saw off the bowling to leave JC requiring 126 runs with four-wickets remaining on today’s final day.

Francis has so far taken five for 40 and Jevel Innis one for 54.