Jamaica: County Championship - No problems for Melbourne (31 Aug 1998)

31 August 1998

No problems for Melbourne

The Jamaica Gleaner

Scores: Middlesex 173 all out (Dervin Morand 66; Junior Hall 4-25) and 103 for one (Howard Harris 75), Melbourne 306 all out (Llewellyn Meggs 75, Ray Stewart 57, Colin Fletcher 47, Shane Ford 45; Pedro Collins 6-57).

Melbourne completed the local cricket double yesterday when they took first innings honours from Middlesex in their drawn County cricket championships encounter at Derrymore Road.

The draw gave Melbourne 16 points, six more than joint runners-up Middlesex and Surrey. They are followed by Lucas eight, St. Catherine seven and Cornwall five. The new champions had earlier dethroned Kensington to take Senior Cup honours.

Captain Robert Samuels praised his batsman for his club's success this season.

"I have to credit our batsmen for our success this season," Samuels said after the two-day County decider was called off with half hour to play.

Earlier, Donovan Pagon and Meggs who were 23 and 15 respectively overnight and resuming with Melbourne on 51 for three added 45 runs before Pagon edged a Pedro Collins delivery to Matthew Sinclair at 96.

However good contributions from Colin Fletcher (47), who ensured that Melbourne won the title when he hit Maurice Cole over long on for six to secure first innings points, Meggs 75 which included five fours and one six, Stewart (57) and Ford (45) ensured another 300 plus total.

With nothing left to play for, Middlesex promoted Howard Harris to open the innings with Leon Garrick.

That move turned out to be a good one as Harris proceeded to entertain the decent Melbourne crowd. Harris launched a brutal attack on the home team's bowlers, slamming seven sixes and five fours off 31 balls before holding out to Meggs on the deep backward square-leg boundary.

Scores: Cornwall 120 and 182; Surrey 244 for six.

West Indies and Windward Islands wicketkeeper/batsman Junior Murray scored a half century (60) to push Surrey to first innings points over Cornwall.

Chasing another 66 runs for first innings points yesterday, Surrey put on another 190 runs to their overnight 54 without loss to lead Cornwall by 124 runs. Hard hitting Bryan Murphy struck a huge six off Cleveland Davidson, the ball dropping into the car park and smashing the rear wind shield of umpire Steve Bucknor's motorcar.

Scores: St. Catherine C.C. 238 (Tamar Lambert 71, Tony Powell 45, Delroy Taylor 34, Milton Thomas 29; Delroy Morgan 3 for 30, Xavier Gilbert 3 for 36, Rawle Lewis 2 for 79); Lucas 68 for four.

There was no decision on first innings. Both teams got a point each.

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)