MELBOURNE Cricket Club (CC) have booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) All-island 50-over competition after a three-run win over University of the West Indies (UWI) in their quarter-final encounter at Kensington yesterday.

Sent in to bat, Melbourne were bowled out for a mere 185 runs in less than 42 overs.

But visitors UWI, set a winning target of 186 runs from 50 overs, could not overhaul that modest total and were bowled out for 182.

Scores: Melbourne CC 185 – all out (41.4 overs); UWI 182 – all out (50 overs).

Shawn Lodge Jr and Tareque White led the way with 38 runs each for Melbourne CC. Lodge Jr hit two fours and one six from 72 balls, while White blasted four boundaries and two huge sixes off 31 deliveries in an opening partnership that yielded 74 runs. The departure of both openers then led to a collapse, as Melbourne lost their next four wickets for just 60 runs to be struggling at 6-134.

While losing wickets at regular intervals, Damion Jacobs tried to stabilise Melbourne’s innings, smashing two fours on his way to 30 not out (45 balls), but only to watch as Omar Samuels ripped through his team’s lower batting order.

Samuels removed Tafari Williams (10), Oneil Wright (zero) and Dave Johnson (11) before Dwayne Thompson was run out for four to end Melbourne’s poor display of batting.

Samuels finished with three for 36 from 7.4 overs, with Linton (10-4-21-2) and Nelson (10-1-40-2) grabbing two wickets apiece for UWI.

In reply, needing to score at exactly 3.72 runs-per-over to win, UWI got off to a terrible start after losing Sheldon Samuels (11) and Javaughn Buchanan (zero) with just 18 runs on the board. Desmond Jones (26) and Chrishna Graham (30) then added a 42-run third-wicket partnership before they were dismissed to leave the score at 64-4.

Ravmon Powell (44), which contained four boundaries and two sixes from 65 balls was not enough against Melbourne’s tight and consistent bowling.

Melbourne then formalised victory when Samuels was run out off the last ball of UWI’s innings for 20 runs.

Wrist-spinner Damion Jacobs took 3-28 and got support from his captain Yannick Elliott and Tafari Williams, who grabbed two wickets each.

In other quarter-finals games, GC Foster defeated Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) by 25 runs at Up Park Camp.

Scores: GC Foster 278-9 (50 overs); JDF 253 – all out (48.1 overs).

St Catherine whipped St James by eight wickets at Chedwin Park.

Scores: St James 164 – all out (41 overs); St Catherine 167-2 (20.3 overs).

At Port Esquivel, St Elizabeth easily defeated Kingston by nine wickets to book their semi-final spot.

Scores: Kingston 112 – all out (29.2 overs); St Elizabeth 113-1 (21 overs).