Stand-in captain Oronde Bascome smashed 126 runs from 106 balls with 19 fours and two sixes as St George’s comfortably beat Cleveland County by 90 runs at Wellington Oval yesterday.

St George’s, whose captain Macai Simmons controversially transferred to St David’s on Friday after training with St George’s as late as Thursday, posted 250 all out thanks to Bascome’s century at No 3. Cleveland replied with 160 all out in 37.4 overs.

Bascome and Wilson added 61 for the second wicket when Wilson departed for 36. Bascome then put on 63 for the fourth wicket with Mishael Paynter to take the score to 172. Bascome was sixth out when the score was 260.

Bascome, a former league and Cup Match captain, was asked to take over the captaincy on Saturday after Simmons’s late transfer to St David’s, with whom he had trained a couple of times during pre-season.

“I don’t believe I’m going to be captain this year; I just filled in for the club because our skipper decided to go and play over at St David’s,” Bascome said.

“I was the most suitable person to fill in for this game, but I believe the club is going to make a decision this week because of the short notice of ‘Chinky’s’ decision.

“I just filled in and tried to do a job for the club. The wicket played well, the conditions were good and I told myself I had to bat as long as possible. It was more about time at the wicket because we do have a young team and I didn’t want to put pressure on them at the end of our innings.”

Dean Stephens, a new Cleveland signing and spinner Del Hollis, returning to his home-town club, were the top Cleveland bowlers with three wickets apiece.

Stephens, sharing the new ball with Jelani Richardson, took three for 34 off eight overs while first-change Hollis took three for 38 off ten.

Cleveland fell short of their target despite good knocks from captain Steven Bremar at the top of the order and Stephens at No 4.

Bremar scored a run-a-ball 51 with seven fours and two sixes while Stephens hit 43 from 58 balls with five boundaries. Makai Young scored 22 not out in the middle order as Cleveland slumped from 123 for four after Ryan Steede took a hat-trick on his way to four for 31.

Steede, last year’s St George’s coach, had Bryce Daniels caught for six before bowling Hollis and then trapping Richardson leg before with his next two deliveries. Oronde Bascome took two for 42.

“The main thing is the result, because we have a young team and [Cleveland] could be one of our rivals in the sense of survival,” added Bascome, who played alongside his father, Herbie Bascome, the Bermuda coach. Herbie took the new ball and gave up 45 runs in ten overs.

“This is a good start to my season and I’m just looking to build on that,” Oronde said. “We were a little short but we made sure we had a team for today and ended up victorious.”

St George’s v Cleveland County

Wellington Oval (St George’s won toss):

St George’s beat Cleveland County by 90 runs

St George’s

T Wilson c Trott b Robinson 36

D Smith c Darrell b Stephens 12

*Or Bascome c Bremar b Young 126

R Steede c Bremar b Robinson 5

M Paynter c Robinson b Hollis 17

Os Bascome c K Trott b Hollis 5

D Walker c Bremar b Hollis 4

B Phipps c K Trott b Stephens 10

H Bascome c S Bremar b Stephens 5

K Stevens b Richardson 3

D Warner not out 1

Extras (14w, 6nb, 4b, 2lb) 26

Total (all out, 47.4 overs) 250

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-97, 3-109, 4-172, 5-195, 6-230, 7-230, 8-241, 9-246.

Bowling: Stephens 8-0-34-3; Richardson 5.4-0-38-1; Hollis 10-1-38-3; Robinson 7-0-1-40-2; Darrell 7-0-45-0; Young 10-0-49-1.

Cleveland

*†S Bremar lbw b Bascome 51

B Trott b D Smith 8

Q Darrell run out 3

D Stephens c Os Bascome b Or Bascome 43

B Daniels c Glasford b Steede 6

M Young not out 22

D Hollis b Steede 0

J Richardson lbw b Steede 0

T Robinson c Paynter b Steede 4

K Trott b Phipps 7

K Whorms run out 2

Extras (9w, 1b, 4lb) 14

Total (all out, 37.4 overs) 160

Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-37, 3-97, 4-123, 5-124, 6-124, 7-124, 8-135, 9-149.

Bowling: Bascome 10-1-45-0; Smith 7-0-22-1; Or Bascome 8-0-42-2; Steede 9-2-31-4; Phipps 3.4-0-15-1.

Umpires: W Smith, C Trott (team officials)