MELBOURNE Cricket Club are to begin their quest for back-to-back Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) Senior Cup titles this weekend when they visit Up Park Camp to face Jamaica Defence Force.

The Senior Cup, which features two day matches, was last staged in 2019 when Melbourne lifted the winners’ trophy.

Restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus wiped out the chance to host the competition in the three years that followed.

During the launch of the 2023 Senior Cup on Wednesday, Melbourne all-rounder Shalome Parnell expressed confidence the club can retain the crown.

“Melbourne have a decent team to defend this trophy. We have been gelling a lot for a month or two now, so I think it’s great. And I’m confident we can defend the title,” the left-hand batsman who bowls left-arm pace told the Jamaica Observer.

The Senior Cup is to comprise seven preliminary rounds this season.

The top two teams from each of the four zones will advance to the quarter-finals with the competition scheduled to conclude with the semi-finals and final in late April.

After shorter-format competitions — including 50-over and Twenty20 tournaments — were held last year, JCA Marketing Committee Chairman Ian Spencer welcomed the return of the Senior Cup which provides the platform for regional four-day cricket squad selection.

“We are really happy to have the return of the Senior Cup because we have had a proliferation of white-ball cricket,” he said.

“The red-ball version is where you really see the true potential of the players,” Spencer added.

Two teams — Trelawny and St Thomas — will have a bye for this weekend’s opening round.

On Friday, the JCA, which has for years struggled to attract corporate partners in the running of its competitions, confirmed Advantage General Insurance Company as a sponsor for this season’s Senior Cup.

Matches (Saturday – Sunday)

St Elizabeth vs St James @ Manley Horne Park

Westmoreland vs Hanover @ Paradise

St Catherine CA vs Manchester @ Windalco Sports Club

St Ann vs G C Foster @ Noranda Bauxite

St Mary vs Clarendon @ Boscobel

Lucas vs Mico @ Nelson Oval

Police vs Boys’ Town @ Elletson Road

St Catherine CC vs Kensington @ Chedwin Park

Kingston & St Andrew CA vs Kingston CC @ Maxfield Park

UWI vs Portland @ Mona Bowl

JDF vs Melbourne @ Up Park Camp