Bermuda Masters earned a victory in the fifth annual Warrington “Soup” Zuill Memorial match at Somerset Cricket Club.

The cup holders were forced to sweat it out before an unbroken 19-run ninth-wicket partnership between Kyle Lightbourne, an all-rounder, and wicketkeeper Winston Simmons carried them to a two-wicket victory against a gutsy Jamaican Association in the 25-over contest.

Simmons joined Lightbourne at the crease in the 23rd over after Rahji Edness was bowled by Peter Philpott, the off spinner, with the Masters 113 for eight.

And with the game hanging in the balance, the pair proved equal to the task, chipping away at the target before the winning runs arrived via a wide from the second last delivery of the penultimate over.

Lightbourne, who thumped two fours and a six, finished unbeaten with 28 from 27 balls while Simmons was not out on five.

Set a target of 132 to chase, Masters slumped from 20 without loss to 31 for four after Jamaican Association made early inroads with the new ball before the middle order came to the rescue.

Clevie Wade, the Bermuda Under-17 coach, started the fightback with an aggressive 21 from 18 balls before he was run out, while Derek Wright added an equally vital 20 from 24 balls and Grant Smith 12 before Lightbourne took over.

Ricky Hill, the Masters captain, gathered 17 from 24 balls at the top of the order before Neil Anglin, the Jamaican Association seam bowler, made the breakthrough in the fifth over to dismiss opener Allen Richardson cheaply and ignite a collapse. Masters were also setback by the loss of middle order bat Gladwin Edness who retired hurt with a pulled hamstring.

Despite making considerable inroads with the ball, Jamaican Association’s bowlers gave up far too many extras, with the seventeen wides they tossed ultimately coming back to haunt them.

Seam bowlers Ian Coke, Junior Lindo and Anglin claimed two wickets apiece.

Earlier, Jamaican Association were comfortably poised at 79 for two before they were pegged back by the bowling of Smith, the seam bowler, and Hasan Durham, the left-arm spinner, who claimed five wickets between them.

Lightbourne, the Masters seam bowler, made the breakthrough in the second over when he had Daley caught behind by wicketkeeper Simmons.

Tight bowling reduced the Jamaicans’ run rate to a trickle and with pressure building Michael Campbell was run out in the sixteenth over after gathering 25 from 59 deliveries.

Opener Dean Richards and Alex Dore, the Bermuda Under-17 captain, picked up the tempo, blasting 54 runs in quick time before Richards was caught by Lightbourne off the bowling of Durham one run shy of a deserved half-century.

Once Richards departed, after thumping three sixes and a four during his 87 ball innings, wickets tumbled at regular intervals as Durham and Smith tightened the screws.

Smith seized three for 27 while Durham took two for 18.