THE 2018 Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association Urban Area Grace Shield and Rural Area Headley Cup cricket competitions will get under way today.

The Grace Shield matches scheduled today are from Zone C – Kingston College (KC) vs St Catherine High at KC North Street; Innswood High vs Norman Manley High at Innswood; and Meadowbrook High vs Tivoli Gardens High at Meadowbrook High playing field.

Matches scheduled in the Headley Cup are: Zone B — St James High vs Cornwall College; Hopewell High vs Cambridge High; Rusea’s High vs Green Island High; Green Pond High vs Frome High.

Zone F — Charlemont High vs Tacky High; Old Harbour High vs Dinthill Technical; McGrath High vs Guy’s Hill High; Tacius Golding High vs Ewarton High.

Zone G — Port Antonio High vs St Mary High; St Mary Technical vs Annotto Bay High; Fair Prospect High vs Titchfield High. Home teams are named first.

Meanwhile, defending champions Papine High are expected to begin their defence on Thursday where they will host St Jago High.

St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), who are the current Grace Headley Cup defending champions, will open their account when they face Maggotty High at Maggotty playing field tomorrow.

Last year, Papine High, coached by Shane Brooks, captured three titles — Grace Shield, T20 KO Cup and the All-Island Spalding Cup, while STETHS were winners of the Grace Headley Cup and T20 KO Cup.

For the Urban Grace Shield competition, the top two teams from each zone will advance to the semi-final round. The eight teams will be divided into two groups — E and F — of four each, with the teams coming out on top featuring in the championships final.

The semi-final round will be played over two days, and the championship final for three days, including two innings.

Meanwhile, the second round of the Rural Grace Headley Cup will see the winners and runners-up, along with the two best third-placed teams advancing to be divided into four groups of four teams each. It will be played over two days.

The four group winners will play in two-day, two-innings semi-finals, with the winners advancing to the final to be played over three days with two innings.

Urban Grace Shield participating schools and their respective zones are as follows:

ZONE A – St George’s College, Campion College, Waterford, Camperdown, St Andrew Technical High School, and Jose Marti Technical.

ZONE B – Papine, Eltham, Jonathan Grant, Tarrant, St Jago and Pembroke Hall.

ZONE C – Innswood, Kingston College, Meadowbrook, St Catherine, Norman Manley and Tivoli High.

ZONE D – Wolmer’s, Excelsior, Jamaica College, Ardenne, Mona and Spanish Town High.

Rural Grace Headley Cup participating schools and their respective zones are as follows:

ZONE A – Aaubuttnott Gallimore, Brown’s Town, Ferncourt, Marcus Garvey, York Castle, Troy High and William Knibb.

ZONE B – Cambridge, Cornwall College, Frome Technical, Green Island, Green Pond, Rusea’s, Hopewell High and St James High.

ZONE C – St Elizabeth Technical High School, B B Coke, Black River, Maggotty, Munro College and Newell.

ZONE D – Cross Keys, Claude McKay, Holmwood Technical, Manchester High and May Day.

ZONE E – Clarendon College, Denbigh, Garvey Maceo, Glenmuir, Kemps Hill and Vere Technical.

ZONE F – Charlemont, Dinthill Technical, Ewarton High, Guy’s Hill High, McGrath, Old Harbour High, Tacius Golding and Tacky High.

ZONE G – Annotto Bay High, Fair Prospect High, Iona, Morant Bay High, Port Antonio High, St Mary High, St Mary Technical and Titchfield High.