Fabian Allen came up with an inspiring all-round performance to lead Vere Technical High into the final of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Twenty20 competition after scoring a 69-run win over Eltham High in the first semi-final at St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) yesterday.

Allen recorded his second century of the competition, scoring 101 from 48 deliveries, before returning to bag five for 11. His innings was highlighted by eight boundaries and seven sixes.

Scores: (Vere Technical 169-9 (20 overs); Eltham 100-9 (20 overs).

Coach Dewith Coleman praised his team for a gutsy performance.

“I feel good that we came out victorious. We were two wickets down early this morning and were a bit scared, but we knew we had the batsmen to come, and we just needed to occupy the crease to get a good total and that is what we did.

“Allen came away with his second century in the competition and that is really good, I hope that he will continue in the final,” Coleman told the Sunday Observer.

He went on to mention that his team will be preparing extensively for the big show and they will be coming to win despite who their opponents will be.

Glenville Holmes supervised proceedings for the Eltham camp, as head coach Oral Simpson was unable to travel with the team.

“We didn’t turn up today (yesterday), Vere played a very good game, we had our moments and we didn’t capitalise on them. We had two bad overs when bowling, and when it was our time to bat, we didn’t score fast enough and so Vere came out victorious,” said Holmes.

Vere Technical won the toss and took first strike on a good batting surface surrounded by a lush green outfield. They found themselves in a spot of bother early out, when Jerome Barton removed both Rohan Ferguson and Randre Christie for nought in the second over, to leave Vere Technical two wickets down for three runs.

Allen and Thavi Spencer tried to stage a recovery, before Jevel Innis had Spencer caught for 34 with the score at 60 for three. Ryan Burnett joined his skipper in the middle and the two took the score up to 97, when Burnett went caught for seven off the bowling of Shane Cole.

David Lewis didn’t stick around long, as he too went caught off the bowling of Cole for five to leave the score at 105 for five. Cole grabbed his third victim when he had Kevin Samuels trapped in front for a duck, with the score at 106 for six.

Allen continued his stint to try and keep his team afloat as he brought up his half-century from just 34 balls, but he was running out of partners when Romario Edwards left the score 118 for seven after Ramone Francis had him caught for three.

The stout build right hand batsman then hit three big sixes and a four to take 24 runs off the 19th over, to bring up his milestone, but fell next ball when Ramone Francis knocked over his stumps with the score at 164 for eight. Demus McPherson was last man out stumped by wicketkeeper Shaquille Brown for two, but the damage was already done as Vere piled up a daunting 169.

Javier Bryan was left not out on three as Shane Cole and Ramone Francis led the bowling with three wickets each.

Eltham in their reply were bogged down by a very disciplined bowling attack by Vere Technical, which saw them losing Rahim Garnett for five after he was bowled by Romario Edwards with the score at 13 for one. The young bunch from St Catherine limped their way to 41, when Ramone Francis got frustrated and was stumped off the bowling of Ryan Burnett for 13.

Shane Cole came and injected some life to the innings with three big blows, but was caught in his bid for a fourth for 21, to leave the score at 68 for three. Allen then took the ball to bowl his left-arm off spin, and instantly made an impact when he bowled his opposite number Dishane Patterson for six with the score at 71 for four.

It then became 71 for five when Jerome Barton went bowled by Burnett for one. Allen then grabbed his second when he had Kevon Richards caught for six with the score at 78 for six. Shaquille Brown returned after retiring hurt, but didn’t stick around as he became Allen’s third victim being bowled for 19.

Allen then grabbed the wicket of Craig Thomas (six) and Jerome Hamilton (zero) to wrap up Eltham’s innings at 100 for nine. Rashada Williams (zero) and Jevel Innis (eight) came in not out. Burnett supported Allen with three for 14.

Meanwhile, STETHS proved why they are dubbed kingpins of schoolboy cricket when they held on for a seven-run win over neighbours Manchester in a closely contested encounter.

Scores: STETHS 118-7 (20 overs); Manchester 111-8 (20 overs).

The host won the toss and decided to take first strike under cool overcast conditions with the surface keeping a bit low. They were on the backfoot early when Odane McCatty was beautifully bowled by Michael Harriot for two, with the score at two runs for one wicket. Shahid Crooks then came up with some lusty blows, but he was softly dismissed when he played one back to bowler Nicholas Walters for 22 to leave the score at 29 for two.

Harriot grabbed his second when he had Jevoy Spence caught for five with the score at 31 for three, before Christopher Powell trapped Michael Frew in front for six to leave STETHS reeling at 36 for four in the seventh over. Captain Ramaal Lewis and Rushane Manning put together a 58-run partnership to take the score up to 94, before Manning (21) was undone by a straight delivery from Powell which knocked his bails off. Lewis was then joind by Marquino Mindley and the two West Indies young cricketers failed to get a partnership going as Walters had Lewis was caught for a topscore of 39 with the score at 102 for six.

Mindley was then run out for seven with the score at 115 for seven, before Kevon Williams (six) and Romaine Morris (one) then carried STETHS to a meagre 118 for seven from their allotment. Michael Harriot (two for 19), Nicholas Walters (two for 36) and Christopher Powell (two for 27) got the job done for Manchester.

Manchester in reply, got off to a shaky start at 16 for one when they lost Orane Walters for five after he was undone by a beauty from Marquino Mindley. Captain Kashane McDaniel and Brad Barnes then steadied the batting with a 39-run partnership, before McDaniel was run out for 22 with the score being 55 for two.

Leg-spinner Rushane Manning grabbed three quick wickets in the 14th over as Manchester began to stumble at 67 for five. First to go was Christopher Powell trapped in front for two, Nicholas Walters caught for a duck and Brad Barnes caught and bowled for 24.

Things became even more gloomy for Manchester when Lewis had Lorenzo McDonald caught for 20 with the score at 95 for six, and it was done and dusted when Rushane Hamilton (zero) and Michael Harriot (one) were both run out with the score at 99 for eight.

Zidane Copeland 21 not out and Davian Codner one, carried Manchester to 111 without further loss of wickets. Manning led the bowling with three for 15.

Coach Clive Ledgister said his team came up with a determined performance which is what champions are made of.

“I am feeling really good, what happened today (yesterday) is a perfect example of what champions are made of. We showed guts and determination and so we prevailed over our opponents.

“Going into the final we want to pick up where we left off in terms of momentum, I am hoping the batsmen will perform more creditable and once we are able to score somewhere between 140 or 150 runs against any schoolboy team, we definitely know that we are going to come out on top,” said Ledgister.

STETHS and Vere Technical will be meeting in a Twenty20 final for the second time this season. The final will take place at Manchester High on Saturday.