AN epic derby is on the cards when former champions Manchester High take on last season’s finalists May Day High in the 2024 rural area Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Grace Headley Cup championship match.

The scheduled three-day encounter at Manchester High is set to begin this morning.

The teams, both based in Mandeville, Manchester, were impressive in their own way in making it to the final.

Manchester High booked their spot at the expense of 2023 champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) by virtue of taking first-innings advantage in their thrilling contest at STETHS Sports Complex last week.

A topsy-turvy tussle ensued over the better part of two and a half days, with STETHS scoring 188 and 221 while Manchester High compiled a pivotal 250 in their first innings.

Manchester High took command late on the final day and got within a whisker of an outright win at 142-5, chasing 160 runs, before rain intervened and forced them to settle for first-innings honours which assured them a place in the final.

Manchester High’s Matthew Morgan made 111 in their first innings and he was a central figure in their run chase — along with Pajay Nelson (58) — with an unbeaten 61 after their top order was jolted by an early four-wicket assault from STETHS pacer Deshawn James.

In the other Grace Headley Cup semi-final clash May Day High swept to a 393-run victory over Clarendon College at May Day.

Chadwick Hewitt (84) and Sanjay Martin (65) made half-centuries for May Day in their first-innings score of 287.

And after they took a significant first-innings lead of 131 runs May Day’s Reon Edwards (97), Christopher Lewis (95), and Hewitt (81) led the way in their second-innings 352.

In the bowling department, pacer Nashane Meade grabbed 6-23 as Clarendon College were dismantled for 90, batting a second time. Meade finished with nine wickets in the contest.

Aside from the boost brought on by their semi-final demolition job the Oral Simpson-coached May Day have added optimism after they beat Manchester High earlier this season.

Barry Barnes, the veteran Manchester High coach, is bracing for a hotly contested battle.

“I expect a good game from May Day, they are bubbling with confidence… they have been doing well for a number of years. Last year they went to the final and this year they are back,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

He said tough encounters heading into the final will suit his team.

“We had played some hard games and we’ve managed to overcome them, and I hope the trend will continue. But it’s looking good for the parish of Manchester — the first in the history of Headley Cup that two teams from the parish are in the final,” Barnes said.

Dwayne Daley, head of May Day High’s sports department, told the Observer that his unit is ready to go one step further this season.

“We’re very confident, seeing that we beat them [this season]. We are very upbeat and we have something to prove — that we are here to stay. This team has been together for probably the last four to five years so we are very ready for this one.

“Last year we gave it a good shot and that final really went down to the wire. And with the experience that we have garnered we have to put it in motion and look to cross the line this time,” Daley said.