SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth – Defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) were in a dominant position at the close of day one in the ISSA/Grace Headley Cup cricket semi-final against Holmwood Technical at STETHS Sports Complex on Monday.

When bad light stopped play 45 minutes before the scheduled close, Holmwood were struggling at 39 for five in reply to STETHS’s 198 all out.

Bryan McInnis, on 10, and Romareo Salmon, on 8, are to resume for Holmwood on Tuesday’s final day.

STETHS fast bowlers Eckoney Robinson, with 3-8 from seven overs, Delante Scott (1-11) and Adrian Silvera (1-12), have done the early damage.

Earlier, Silvera, better known for his left-arm pace, hit a polished, unbeaten 66 and STETHS captain Tyriek Bryan a typically fluent 53 as wickets fell around them.

Fast bowlers Wildel Bailey (3-30 from 11 overs), McInnis (3-34 from 13 overs), off spinner Salmon (3-54 from 16 overs) and leg spinner Kevaughn Flemming (1-38) took the wickets for Holmwood.

After being asked to bat first under overcast skies, STETHS fell into early strife against a penetrative Holmwood pace attack, losing openers Humaro Reid (0) and Jermari Bryce (7) in the first six overs.

Bryan was mostly untroubled in his 74-ball knock even as wickets tumbled. The situation looked dire for STETHS when he fell to the pacey Bailey at 99 for 7 in the 28th over.

But Silvera, who had arrived at the wicket at the fall of the sixth wicket, then took charge.

He skillfully marshalled the lower order while hitting three sixes and two fours in his 105-ball knock.

In their turn in the gathering gloom of late afternoon, the Holmwood top-order batting had no answer to the pace and swing of Robinson, Scott and Silvera.

—Garfield Myers