DEFENDING champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and former champions Manchester High are to host Holmwood Technical and Tacky High, respectively, in the ISSA/Grace Headley Cup cricket semi-finals slated for Monday and Tuesday.

The semi-final placements followed the last round of quarter-final games last week.

STETHS defeated Tacky High by nine wickets on last Monday’s opening day of the scheduled two-day game at STETHS Sports Complex in Santa Cruz, to top their quarter-final group. Tacky High were runners-up, thereby gaining a semi-final spot ahead of Vere Technical and Garvey Maceo High.

In Mandeville, the encounter between Manchester and Holmwood ended in a draw after rain washed out Tuesday’s second day.

The teams ended tied on points, with each also securing two wins and a draw in their quarter-final group which also included Old Harbour High and Black River High.

ISSA’s Competitions Officer Ewan Scott explained that Manchester topped the group and earned the right to host Tacky, after edging out Holmwood Technical on a tie-break based on calculations of runs for and against, as well as wickets taken and lost.

At STETHS Complex the hosts’ impressive, all-round efficiency with bat and ball proved too much for Tacky.

Tacky High batted first, Tyson Gordon leading the way with a fluent 38 off 45 balls with five fours, but once he was dismissed — disappointingly miscuing a full toss with the score on 58-3 — the innings disintegrated. They were dismissed for 104.

Off-spinner Juwayne Lawson led the bowling for STETHS, capturing four wickets for 19 runs, while left-arm seamer Adrian Silvera took 3-32 and Captain Tyriek Bryan, bowling off spin, 2-9.

Following the loss of Humaro Reid for seven the experienced Bryan, a left-handed batsman, and right-handed opener Jemari Bryce then carried STETHS to victory at 105 runs with no further loss of wickets and few challenges.

Bryce scored a 79-ball 45 with five fours while Bryan faced 60 deliveries in also stroking 45 with four fours.

At Manchester High, having lost the toss and being asked to bat first after a delayed start — caused by a damp pitch — Manchester High reached 226-4 at the close of day one.

Captain and wicketkeeper Pajay Nelson top-scored with 73 while Demario Hall supported with 65 and Kavel Bailey and Tesfah Ward added 31 and 27, respectively.

Holmwood’s leg-spinner Kevaughn Flemming took 3-73.

The game ended as a draw without any further play, following persistent rain on the second day.

At Garvey Maceo High the scheduled game between the hosts and Vere was drawn after being rained out.

At Black River High, Old Harbour High defeated their hosts by four wickets.

Batting first, Black River were dismissed for 71 as Ozeem Bennett top-scored with 28.

Old Harbour off-spinner Ranjay Thomas was the chief destroyer with 7-25. Old Harbour’s batsmen then battled their way over the line at 72-6 with Jabari Ralph unbeaten on 28.