A bold decision by skipper Vitel Lawes to declare St Jago High’s innings while trailing by 104 runs set up an enticing final day at Melbourne Oval yesterday. Campion College were dismissed for 63 in their second innings, leaving St Jago needing 168 runs for victory, and they closed on 22-1.

Chasing Campion College’s first-innings total of 246, St Jago reached 142-9 when West Indies player Lawes declared. The move paid immediate dividends as he tore through the top order, leaving Campion reeling. Samuel Burgher supported well, taking four wickets for just six runs from nine overs.

In St Jago’s first innings, Lawes top-scored with 35, including four sixes and one four, before he was caught by Jaheel Davidson off Zachary Taylor after just 36 minutes at the crease.

St Jago had started brightly, putting on 44 for the first wicket before losing Luwayne Pryce for 15. Wayne Plummer fell for 19 at 67-2, then Danza Hyatt went for 29 at 68-3, and the innings never recovered despite Lawes’ swashbuckling knock, which lifted the score to 108-5. Rajiv Bacchus was also dismissed with the score at 108.

Bowling for Campion College, Neo Xavier took 5 for 46, Zachary Taylor claimed 3 for 18, and Waugh picked up 1 for 23 as they stifled the St Jago batters.

Trailing by 104 runs, Lawes then declared at 142-9 and immediately saw his decision rewarded.

He bowled first-innings centurion Abraham Waugh for nought with the very first ball of the second innings and, with his third delivery, had Jonathan Fuller lbw for nought at 0-2. Antoine Campbell was then trapped lbw by Wayne Plummer for nought, leaving Campion in deep trouble at 2-3.

Matthew Lloyd (16) and Zachary Taylor (22) steadied the innings with a 31-run partnership. The score moved to 33-4 when Taylor was bowled by Rajiv Bacchus in the 11th over after facing 36 minutes and hitting three fours.

Wickets continued to tumble as Campion slipped to 38-5, 43-6, 60-7, 62-8, and 62-9 before being dismissed for 63.

St Jago, in their second innings, were 22-1 at stumps, with Wayne Plummer unbeaten on 17 and Samuel Burgher yet to score. Luwayne Pryce made five from 26 balls in 28 minutes.

With one day remaining, the match is evenly poised, but with West Indies player Vitel Lawes in their line-up, St Jago will feel confident of overturning the first-innings deficit.

They require a further 146 runs for victory, with nine wickets in hand, and Head Coach Joseph Lemmie believes his team is in a strong position to end their 25-year drought.

“Game is evenly poised at this moment. Campion had the ascendancy when we declared our innings on 142-9. Doing that basically gave us enough time to bowl at Campion a second time and also to have adequate time to get the runs,” Lemmie told the Jamaica Observer.

“So, unfortunately, we actually lost a wicket in the second-to-last over of the match. Still very optimistic that we will take this one,” he added.

“The pitch is flat and batting-friendly. The objective is for the batters to come out, apply themselves, and execute. As long as we do this successfully and according to plan, we will win the trophy — a Grace Shield title we haven’t won for approximately 25 years,” Lemmie said.