THE contest between defending champions Excelsior High and many-time winners Kingston College (KC) highlights the semi-finals of the urban area Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Grace Shield cricket competition which gets underway this morning at 10:00.

The Excelsior versus KC clash is scheduled for Courtney Walsh Oval at the former school’s Mountain View Avenue base.

In the other semi-final, Calabar High is to welcome Wolmer’s Boys’ to their Red Hills Road home.

The matches are one-day encounters, but if there is no result at the end of the first day, a reserve day is available to determine a winner.

Excelsior should be comfortable playing with the home advantage, and boosted by the success they have had in recent times.

“We are very confident coming into the semi-finals, as we have the best team over the years playing in the schoolboy cricket competition,” Coach Kirkland Bailey aid.

He added that KC have the quality players who are expected to present a good challenge.

Bailey’s team topped Zone A with dominant displays in the preliminary stage, defeating Ardenne High, Jamaica College (JC), Wolmer’s Boys’, St Jago High, and Campion College.

He said his leading batsman is Captain Brandon English who has scored over 300 runs so far, including a top score of 154 against Ardenne High.

KC’s Coach Anshuman Kentish is confident of a win despite a narrow loss three years ago.

“The last time both teams faced each other was in the semi-final of the 2019 season where KC lost by one run to Excelsior,” said Kentish.

Steven Wedderburn, who has a top score of 165 not out against St George’s College, in the preliminary stage has been KC’s most prominent batsmen.

Meanwhile, Sean Newell, the coach of Calabar, is bracing for a tough encounter against Wolmer’s.

“Both teams are very strong in the batting, but the only difference should likely be in the bowling department that could determine the winner of the match,” said Newell.

Calabar have not lost a game in the competition, beating Jonathan Grant High, St George’s College, and St Andrew Technical High School, while drawing with KC.

Wolmer’s Boys’ Coach Gibson Williams said his team, which includes West Indies youth batsman Jordan Johnson, is expecting a tough match against Calabar.