Kingston's wicketkeeper Darnell McCallum looks on as Mel-bourne's Damion Henry plays a shot in their 50-over match at Sabina Park on Saturday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Sidelined Jamaica batsman Tamar Lambert cracked a superb, unbeaten 97 not out to lead national Twenty20 champions St Catherine CC to a seven-wicket win over St Catherine CA, in their quarter-final round Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) All-Island Knockout Championship derby matchup at the Spanish Town Prison Oval on the weekend.
The 28-year-old Lambert who was dropped from the team which is currently in Guyana preparing for this week's start of the WICB President's Cup one-day competition, due to a lack of match fitness, topscored for his club which recorded 224-3 off 40.4 overs in reply to St Catherine CA's 220 off 42.4 overs.
Modest total
Opener Damion Bryce and vete-ran Keith Hibbert, 38 each, gave best support to Lambert. National junior left-arm spinner Coi Thompson, 3-44, took most wickets for the losers.
Earlier, West Indies Under-19 all-rounder Nkrumah Bonner stroked 57, and Andrew Davis 41 to steer St Catherine CA to their modest total against the bowling of David Morgan (3-30).
In other matches, a commendable all-round performance from Yannick Elliott guided Melbourne to a six-wicket win over Kingston at Sabina Park, while Kensington recorded a 1-0 bowl-off win over Hanover at Elgin Town after rain forced a premature end to the game.
At Sabina Park, Elliott, who was a member of Jamaica's one-day team last year, claimed 2-36 with his part-time off-spin, and notched up 43 not out as Melbourne, set 172 to win off their allotted 50 overs, cruised to 175-4.
Leg-spinner Damion Jacobs, 3-46, best supported Elliott in the field against opener Davion Johnson (41). When Melbourne batted, opener Damion Henry chipped in with 42.
Nehemiah Perry, James Adams, leg-spinner Kerry Scott and left-arm spinner Paul Harrison each ended with a wicket a piece.
"I thought we equipped ourselves well playing without (Carlton) Baugh and (Nikita) Miller. We did well to restrict a team with Adams and Perry to that total and when we batted, we got a very good start through Jon Ross Campbell and Henry, which laid the foundation for the victory," said Melbourne manager Donald McNaughton.
32-7 after 18.4 overs
Kensington, in the meanwhile, who are suffering from the loss of Wavell Hinds, David Bernard Jr, Darren Powell and Akeem Dewar due to national team call-ups, were reeling at 32-7 after 18.4 overs when the rains came and stopped play at 1:55 p.m.
The game had earlier in the day been reduced to 35 overs per side.
In Saturday's semi-finals, St Catherine will host Melbourne at Chedwin Park, while two-day Super League champions and Twenty20 beaten finalist, Manchester, who drew a bye this round, will travel to Preston Road to face Kensington.