Cleveland 180-8 Bailey's Bay 181-9 A third wicket stand of 105 in just 63 minutes and 15 overs between Glenn Blakeney and captain Charlie Marshall should have laid the foundation for a comfortable Bailey's Bay victory in the Knockout Cup final at Lord's yesterday.

Instead, after a middle-order collapse which saw Bay slump from 115-3 to 166-9 in the space of 14 overs, it was left to the last wicket pair Steven Outerbridge and Anthony Braithwaite to pull off the win.

Showing the patience that was lacking by some of the other senior players before them, the pair grafted for 32 minutes to score the final 15 runs which left Cleveland losing finalists for the second year running.

Outerbridge, just 14, showed tremendous maturity to stay with Braithwaite after three wickets went down in three overs to set the stage for a thrilling finish.

With 15 needed, Cleveland looked the more likely to win. However, Outerbridge and Braithwaite held on against some tight bowling to snatch victory for Bay with 5.5 overs remaining.

The match never looked like going down to the wire after Marshall and Blakeney pulled Bay back into the game from 10-2. Ricky Hill -- playing his first game since early June -- went in the second over and Roger Trott in the fourth as Carlton Smith claimed wickets in each of his first two overs.

However, the match looked all but over when the next wicket fell -- Blakeney for 47 to a diving catch by Wayne Smith at cover point. But that dismissal changed the complexion of the game.

Irving Romaine and Marshall departed in successive balls in the 25th over by Johnny Richardson and at 136-5 Cleveland knew they were back in the hunt.

Marshall's top score of 65 included five sixes and five fours in 94 minutes.

Cleveland kept the pressure on with the scalp of Noel Gibbons in the next over from Carlton Smith. And though Cal Dill and Clarkie Trott kept Cleveland at bay for five overs in adding 24 for the seventh wicket, the game swung dramatically again when three wickets went down in the space of four runs to make it 166-9. Johnny Richardson led the Cleveland bowling with four for 48 from his 10 overs while Carlton Smith took three for 41.

Marshall led the Bay bowling, claiming five for 25 off nine overs to assure Cleveland did not pass 200 in a match that was reduced to 47 overs per team because of a late start.

The captain grabbed a wicket in each of his first two overs as Cleveland went from 30 without loss in the ninth over to 42-3 by the 15th. Thanks to a stand of 70 for the fourth wicket in 53 minutes between opener Wayne Smith (37) and Allan Douglas (40), Cleveland got going again.