After St Catherine Cricket Club (CC) topped Kingston CC in the riveting Jamaica Cricket Association Senior Cup final at Sabina Park, the victorious team coach and captain highlighted to their positive approach as a major difference-maker.

Replying to Kingston’s solid first-innings score of 319, St Catherine CC fought fire with fire in motoring to 333-8 when the both teams and match officials agreed to end the drawn contest shortly after 4:30 pm on Sunday’s second and final day.

Scores: Kingston 319 (102.1 overs); St Catherine 333-8 (63.1 overs)

By virtue of claiming the all-important first-innings honours, St Catherine were crowned 2023 Senior Cup champions. All-rounder Jeavor Royal was man of the match, grabbing five wickets with his left-arm spin and hitting a pivotal 77 to counter Kingston’s rally on Sunday afternoon.

“The nature of St Catherine team is to always stay positive, and we always have the mindset to win every game. That mentality, the positivity that we have shown, it bore fruit,” Odean Brown, winning his first Senior Cup as head coach, told the Jamaica Observer during a post-match interview.

St Catherine skipper Peat Salmon, who was named the season’s most valuable player after scoring 582 runs and snaring 32 wickets, said there was always trust throughout the team, even when they lost a flurry of wickets in their reply.

“It looked tricky when we lost a couple quick wickets, but we sent a message for the players to regroup, and we did just that. We’re a group that always believe in our abilities and believe in each other, and I think that’s what pulled us through the season,” the national all-rounder explained.

Akim Fraser, the Kingston captain, rued the bowling and fielding efforts on day two.

“I feel we strayed from the plans that we had, I feel we panicked a bit, in terms of our [bowling] execution. I would have wanted a bit more than the 319 that we got, but that being said, 319 on the board in a final is still a lot of runs.

“Some chances went down in the game, [and] a couple of things could’ve gone our way, but I feel if we had been a bit more disciplined in our bowling effort we would’ve come through because it still came down close. But we just weren’t able to get over the line in the end,” Fraser told journalists.

Kingston, who entered the match without batsmen Brandon King and Kirk McKenzie featuring in the Headley-Weekes Tri Series and all-rounder Andre Bailey competing in Twenty20 tournament in Antigua, resumed Sunday morning on 290-7 after a disciplined batting display on day one.

But they were bowled out for 319, with Romaine Morris, who struck an impressive 147, and Jevaughn Buchanan (40) leading the way.

Jeavor Royal, who had five wickets overnight, finished with 5-101, while Salmon had 3-53.

In reply, St Catherine, powered by Kennar Lewis’ shot-filled 73-ball 94, appeared well ahead of the game at 144-1 but lost a cluster of wickets in advancing to 186-5.

But Royal, who smashed a six off left-arm Patrick Harty that flew over the wide long on boundary, astonishingly clearing the roof of the immense North Stand, partnered with former West Indies youth skipper Ramaal Lewis (62) to settle St Catherine’s nerves.

Their 83-run partnership for the sixth wicket brought St Catherine close, and then Darnell

McCallum swept Harty for four to safely take St Catherine to the promised land.

Left-arm spinner Paul Harrison claimed 4-98, while Harty captured 3-78.