Lord’s (St David’s won toss): St David’s beat Bailey’s Bay by 52 runs

St David’s completed a winning weekend with a 52-run victory over Bailey’s Bay, their Eastern Counties rivals, to keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation in the Twenty20 League Premier Division

At the same time St David’s helped keep the title race wide open with this win over second placed Bay, though leaders Southampton Rangers did not capitalise, suffering their first loss to St George’s at nearby Wellington Oval.

In a match that did not start until 4pm, St David’s posted a challenging 165 for five and then restricted Bay to 112 for eight after the visitors never recovered from a slow start.

Captain Justin Pitcher was the high man for St David’s for the second time this weekend with 50 not out off 41 balls with three sixes and two fours as he followed up his century in the Eastern Counties the day before with another important knock for his team.

Derrick Brangman was next high man with 34 from 37 balls as the pair carried the score from 46 for four to 118 for five when Brangman departed in the 17th over.

After that, Brian Hall hit a brisk 26 not out from 13 balls with two sixes and two fours as the home team passed the 150 mark.

Sancho Jackson led the Bay bowling with three for 38 off four overs while opener Zeko Burgess took one for 24 from our.

Hall then contributed with the ball for St David’s as they protected their total, Bay never recovering from a slow start which saw them on just 49 for one after ten overs. St David’s were 71 for four at the same stage.

Coolidge Durham was bowled by Kevin Hurdle in the second over, then Azende Furbert was trapped lbw by Hurdle in the sixth over to make it 24 for two.

Opener Rodney Trott and captain Terryn Fray then added 30 for the third wicket in six overs before Fray departed, caught at backward point by Hall for eleven.

The arrival of Zeko Burgess brought anticipation among the crowd following his quickfire 50 off just eleven balls last weekend against Willow Cuts.

This time he started cautiously, but did manage to hit a couple of sixes and a four off the 14 balls he face before top-edging an attempted straight drive and being caught at short third man by Pitcher off Hall for 20.

That wicket came in the 15th over on 81 for four, with Bay’s required run rate already up to 16 runs an over. And when Trott departed on the first ball of the 17th over – Hall again the bowler – the writing was on the wall for the joint leaders at 85 for five.

Trott played well for his top score of 44 which came off 40 balls and included two sixes and three fours.

Hall picked up that wicket, too, with Trott caught at long-off by Ajuan Lamb. Hall, the fifth bowler used by St David’s, finished with figures of four for 22 off four overs. He also held a catch and was involved in the run out of Sinclair Smith.

Kevin Hurdle bowled well despite a leg injury, finishing with two for six off four overs. He had earlier scored a valuable 19 batting at No 3.