Guest players Derrick Brangman and Jordan DeSilva both struck centuries during a double-century partnership as Tuff Dogs began the defence of their Central Counties title with a convincing victory on Saturday.

In the 50th year of the Central Counties, Tuff Dogs, an Evening League team made up mostly of former top campaigners, relied on two young players to lay the foundation for a massive total of 339 before dismissing Stars for 228.

The two Somerset Cup Match players put on 200 for the fourth wicket to rescue the champions from 44 for three after just 9.3 overs.

DeSilva scored 104 before he departed in the 41st over, leaving Brangman to finish with 125 off 127 balls as the runs continued to flow in the tail end with more than 100 coming in the final 12 overs.

DeSilva faced 93 balls and hit six fours and seven sixes while Brangman smashed five fours and nine sixes.

Dean Minors, batting at No 8, scored a quick 27 from seven balls, hitting three sixes and two fours, to bring up the 300 after smashing 22 off an over from off spinner Swayne Campbell.

Monroe Darrell then put on 16 in a last wicket stand with Arnold Manders, at 60 the oldest player on the field, with Darrell facing just four balls and smashing two sixes and a four as the Stars players left the field dejected.

Last year Tuff Dogs, thanks to knocks from Brangman and DeSilva, chased down the 226 posted by then champions Stars in the first round. The 339 looked out of Stars’ reach, although they were some encouraging partnerships as they matched the required six runs-an-over run rate early on after some loose bowling by Tuff Dogs.

Darrell was the main culprit, giving up 31 runs in just three overs with eight wides after sharing the new ball with Dumferd Davis.

Stars had 65 on the board after ten overs, but things slowed down after that as wickets began to fall at critical stages.

“We did well to score the 330-odd, though we were confident going in,” said Terence Corday, the Tuff Dogs captain. “We were poor in the start, giving up so many extras in the first four or five overs which brought them right back into the game.

“Credit to them, they did bat very well to make it closer than what we thought it should have been. In the end the experience and the play of Derrick and Jordan helped us out a lot. With some good bowling from some of the other guys we pulled it back in the end and we’re happy to get a victory.”

Corday added: “Our bowling is probably our strength, but our openers were poor today. Myself and Arnold brought it back quite nicely bowling slow. Derrick and Jordan are our seasoned players and in hindsight we could have gone to them a little earlier.”

Brangman also led the bowling for Tuff Dogs, claiming four for 57 from eight overs, including two leg before dismissals in the same over to remove middle-order pair Khiry Furbert and Seion Darrell, who scored 29 and 34 respectively.

They added 56 for the fifth wicket to take the score to 197, before captain Seth Campbell returned from cramp to complete his 50, leading the Stars batting with 57 after coming in at No 4 and adding 53 for the third wicket with Ryan Tyrell who scored 33.

“It’s good to be back playing cricket after the [suspension] situation,” said Brangman, referring to a ban imposed last year by the Bermuda Cricket Board.

“I came out today, put my all in and that’s the result you get. I just tried to stick around to see the bowlers off and if the ball was there to hit, then hit it.

“Our bowlers bowled a lot of wides, which they get away with in the Evening League. The extras played a big part in it. It’s going to get better against Village in the next round.”

Arnold Manders, the former Western Stars player, got the breakthrough for Tuff Dogs when he removed his nephew Jaiden Manders in his first over and then got the wicket of the other opener, Swayne Campbell, two overs later.

Manders, who finished with two for 39, also produced a good piece of fielding close to the wicket to run out Brian Hall for 18 after a mixup with his captain who sent him back from an attempted quick single. Seth Campbell was also the top bowler for Stars, claiming five for 57 as Stars used eight bowlers in a bid to stop the run flow.

Brother Swayne claimed three wickets but was expensive in his seven overs, giving up 84 runs.