Bailey’s Bay, like the Bermuda Under-19 team a few days ago, made hard work of chasing a low total on this ground after St David’s crashed to 101 all out in a rain-shortened match.

Kyle Hodsoll, the Bay seam bowler, was in devastating form, claiming five wickets for ten runs from eight overs, as the defending champions, who won the toss and opted to bat, found themselves reeling at 29 for six after just 16 overs.

In a match reduced to 39 overs a side after a two hour rain stoppage, Hodsoll had McLaren Lowe caught by wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith in his second over, and struck again in his second and fifth overs to have figures of three for five from his first, five over, spell.

Hodsoll then returned to remove captain OJ Pitcher for 22 in his second spell, when the opener was eighth out with the score on 80, after a stand of 51 with cousin Justin Pitcher who led the St David’s batting with 32.

Bay quickly wrapped up the St David’s innings after the stand was broken with Smith brilliantly stumping Del Hollis off Stephen Outerbridge’s bowling for the last wicket.

Zeko Burgess, the first-change bowler, supported Hodsoll with three for 17 off eight overs as St David’s found it difficult against the Bay attack, with Burton Outerbridge going for just twelve runs in his seven overs.

Bay, who meet Cleveland at the same ground in the first round of the Eastern Counties on Saturday, were moving comfortably towards their target at 56 for two and then 83 for three before St David’s fought back.

A clutch of wickets fell making it closer than it should have been after Jermaine Usher and Rodney Trott, who was run out, fell on successive deliveries from George O’Brien.

O’Brien claimed three for 27 from his eight overs as openers Terryn Fray and Coleridge Durham were dismissed cheaply in the first seven overs, before a stand of 30 between Tre Manders and Stephen Outerbridge put Bay firmly in control.

Outerbridge departed when he lofted a shot to Rudell Pitcher at long-on to depart for 20, and Manders followed soon after for 23, leaving Bay wobbling at 83 for four. St David’s reduced Bay to 101 for seven, before the visiting team finally ended the match in the 28th over.

“It was a good victory, playing against our rivals and bowling them out for 101,” Irving Romaine, the Bay coach, said.

“Kyle [Hodsoll] did excellent and put us in the driver’s seat with five wickets for ten runs against a good batting lineup like St David’s.

“Losing seven wickets, yes that happens, but getting the 101 runs the team was sort of laid back and let their guard down a little bit. It made it look closer than it really was.

“The team was almost at full strength and we could even afford to leave Lateef [Trott] out, then we also left out Delray [Rawlins], Jordan [Smith], Azende [Furbert] and Nyhrobi Carmichael because they played all week with the Under-19s.

“Other guys trained hard during the week and we rewarded them.”

n Cleveland also warmed up with a win ahead of the Eastern Counties when they beat Flatts by seven wickets at Wellington Oval, where Clay Darrell struck 82 as Cleveland chased down Flatts’s 195, finishing on 198 for three in 27 overs.

The match was reduced to 44 overs a side after a rain stoppage, with Regino Smith leading the way for Flatts with 39 while Reggie Baker scored 25 and Kijuan Franks 22.

Damali Bell was the pick of the Cleveland bowlers with four for 64 off nine overs, while Dennis Musson took two for 19 from six, and Shaki Darrell and Treadwell Gibbons took two wickets apiece.

Cleveland needed just five batsmen in their run chase with Gibbons and Adrian Burrows giving them a good start with 44 for the first wicket, before Gibbons was out for 32.

Burrows and Darrell then added 121 for the second wicket when Darrell departed, before Burrows was dismissed five runs later at 170 for three. Jason Anderson and captain Allan Douglas scored the remaining runs to seal the victory. Kristof Von Tander claimed two for 25 for Flatts.