St. David's 204

Western Stars 205-5

Veteran Treadwell Gibbons, retired but only playing when the team needs him, shared in two crucial 50-run partnerships at St. John's Field to lead Western Stars to a five-wicket win and to the brink of another Premier Division title.

Stars' title bid had come off the rails with losses to St. George's and Cleveland in their last two outings and another defeat to the defending champions would have set the stage for an interesting final round of matches in which three teams would have been in with a chance of the title with one match to go.

However, the loss by St. David's, their sixth, eliminated them from the race, leaving leaders Stars one win from the title ... their opponents being second-placed Southampton Rangers.

The 45-year-old Gibbons rescued Stars from a precarious position of 100-3 after top bat Albert Steede and Gershon Gibbons were trapped lbw in successive overs by O.J. Pitcher and Lionel Cann.

After Jermaine Postlethwaite departed in the first over, Steede and Gibbons added 94 for the second wicket, a stand the Stars captain dominated as he blasted 12 fours and a six in his knock of 69 which came off 61 balls in 71 minutes.

Steede became embroiled in an incident when St. David's decided to bring on a reserve fielder - captain Clay Smith who had just flown in from vacation - for injured bowler Delyone Borden, but Steede strongly voiced his displeasure to umpire George Francis.

After Francis approved it, stating there was nothing in the rules to prevent it as St. David's only submitted 11 players to the umpires, St. David's struck back with the quick wickets of Steede and Gibbons. Smith's arrival clearly boosted his team, though Francis had to remind him that the laws did not allow him to take over the captaincy.

Treadwell Gibbons made certain there would be no fightback by St. David's as he shared in a 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Corey Berkeley (21) and then put on 52 for the fifth wicket with Saleem Mukudem (20 not out) to take Stars to the brink of victory.

Gibbons departed when he skied a catch to Glenn Blakeney at long off going for the winning runs, the dismissal leaving him on 48 after hitting four fours and three well-struck sixes. No St. David's bowler - they used nine - took more than one wicket.

Earlier, the St. David's batting was boosted by the return from England of Chris Foggo and O.J. Pitcher who led them in their total of 204. Foggo, playing his first match of the local season, struck 38 from three boundaries in 115 minutes off 87 balls as he and Phillip Pitcher (29) put on 48 for the first wicket.

After Glenn Blakeney went for 19, Pitcher anchored the innings, hitting 56 in 99 balls from five boundaries before he was eventually seventh out on 198.

Captain Lionel Cann made sure St. David's reached the 200 mark, blasting four sixes in his 24-ball knock of 35 in the middle order after Stars restricted them to 156-4 after 40 overs.

Dwayne Leverock, wicketless in his first spell, slowed St. David's up late in their innings by claiming three wickets in his last seven balls - all stumped by Treadwell Gibbons - to finish with three for 27 off ten overs. Wilbur Burt had two for 36 from ten.