MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Many-time champions St Elizabeth Technicsl High School (STETHS) were 127-5 in reply to Manchester High’s 140 all out at the close of day one of their three-day Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Grace Headley Cup final here Wednesday.

Sent to bat, Manchester High were piloted by a composed 78 from their captain Sanjay Walker. But the batting was undermined by STETHS fast bowler Govasta Edmond, who took 6-21 from 13 overs. Bowling fast, full and straight on a pitch with low bounce, Edmond proved virtually unplayable.

Manchester High pacer Rasheed Harriott, adopting similar tactics, also reaped rich rewards when STETHS batted. He took all five wickets for 27 runs from nine overs.

The left-handed middle-order batter Anil Braham led the way for STETHS with a fluent 72-ball 64 (one six and three fours).

Braham shared a 102-run stand for the fourth wicket with the disciplined right hand opener, Sean Roye who battled to 34 off 81 balls before hanging his bat at Harriott late in the post tea session to be well caught at slip.

That partnership had lifted STETHS from a precarious 12-3 as Harriott created havoc with the new ball.

STETHS will resume on Thursday with O’Dell Samuel’s not out 5 and Edmond yet to score.

Earlier, Walker had carried Manchester High to 110-5 at lunch after a shaky start, with his team losing its first three wickets to Edmond with 23 runs scored.

Walker, who hit two sixes and five fours off 128 balls, shared a fourth-wicket stand of 56 with Brian Barnes (25) to steady the innings.

But Edmond and leg spinner Javid Simpson (3-41) wrapped up the Manchester High innings an hour after lunch as the last five wickets fell for 21 runs.

— Garfield Myers