KIRK McKenzie’s double century of 208 runs sealed the title for Excelsior High School against Manchester High in the 2019 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKennedy Financial Group High Schoolboys Spalding Cup All-Island cricket final that ended in a draw at Melbourne Oval yesterday.

Excelsior captured the Spalding Cup by virtue of gaining first-innings points in the three-day match that ended in a tame draw. Scores: Excelsior 282 and 482 all out off 98 overs, Manchester 172 and 210-4 off 55 overs.

Excelsior High were gaining their second hold on the All-Island Championship title after first winning it 56 years ago in 1963.

Coach Kirkland Bailey said it was a fitting end for five of his players who would be graduating this year — having won the GraceKennedy Shield for urban area schools, and the GraceKennedy Spalding Cup. They will now turn their attention to the T20 competition.

“It was a good performance from the team and we are very proud of winning the All-Island Championship title as it took us 56 years,” Bailey said.

Meanwhile, the highlights of the match were a sparkling innings by Excelsior’s opener McKenzie and a splendid captain’s innings by Reawin Senior, in their 282-run fourth-wicket partnership that eliminated any hopes of Manchester challenging for victory.

McKenzie resumed his second-innings score on 165, while Senior continued from his overnight score of 112. The two continued their onslaught of Manchester’s attack by crashing the ball to all parts from the ground.

McKenzie’s demise came about when he was caught at backward point off the bowling of Jaheem Bartley after facing 179 balls, including 10 towering sixes and 17 fours.

Senior went stumped by wicketkeeper Jarvadi Francis with the score on 398 for a fine 151 that contained 11 fours and five sixes made off 138 balls. Jerome McCusky was the other main contributor with 41 not out, as Bartley took five for 94 off 24 overs, and Wavel Anniford with two for 111 off 28 overs.

Manchester were given a very tough task to score 593 for an outright win when they began their second innings after the lunch break at 1:38 pm. They lost their first wicket with the score on 21, their second at 67 and their third at 106.

The batting slide was checked by the pair of Dwayne Walters with 62 not out (seven fours) and Kevon Anniford with 70, including five sixes and five fours, as they shared in a fourth-wicket partnership of 94 runs. Anniford was caught on the boundary at long on trying to hit another six. At the fall of Anniford’s wicket, both captains decided to call off the match.