St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) won a second straight hold on the Grace/ISSA rural limited overs competition, beating Manchester High - the same team they had beaten in last year's final - in the final at STETHS, in Santa Cruz yesterday.

The effort was painstaking, but hardly in doubt when the winners lost five wickets in chasing the 109 mined by Manchester in 30.3 overs. Christna Samuels needed luck from two dropped catches, but played a steady hand in landing the champions home with an unbeaten 43.

Donovan Nelson, the bowler whom Manchester were most successful against, played a good hand in support, partnering with Samuels, after STETHS dipped to 73 for five in the 14th over, as the visitors fought hard to defend their conservative total. He finished with 22 and, in fact, hit the winning run.

The better team

Manchester coach, Barry Barnes, said: "It just goes to show that STETHS is a tougher team," Barnes told The Gleaner.

"They know what to do when the going gets tough. Hats off to them: they played more gallantly."

Winning coach, Clive Legister, said: "We know the Manchester team lost some vital players from last year and that their team was built around two major players in Oshane Walters and Courtney Allen. They have always been tentative when they bat first against us so with Gordon coming back, we knew if we put their top order under pressure, it would be hard for them later on."

In just 10 overs, the entire Manchester top order was blown away, leaving Sherdan Allen to stage a herculean fightback in carving out a top score of 47, before he was ninth out, stumped off Casius Burton Jr with the score on 98.