Lord’s (St David’s won toss): St George’s beat St David’s by 93 runs

St David’s were made to pay for sending St George’s in to bat as they amassed their biggest total of the season, 332 for five, on their way to a convincing victory that delayed the home team’s title bid until the final round of matches.

Thinking his team could dismiss St George’s cheaply and wrap up a quick victory, Justin Pitcher, the St David’s captain, saw the decision backfire as frustration set in when they failed to take wickets cheaply.

Openers Treadwell Gibbons and Allan Douglas Jr laid the foundation with their stand of 64 in 15 overs before Douglas was dismissed for 29, leg before to Derrick Brangman. Then Gibbons added 101 for the second wicket with Jonte Smith (40) in 18.2 overs before Gibbons was caught behind off Pitcher for 74 which came off 117 balls.

The runs kept coming on the same wicket used the day before for the Eastern counties match, with captain Onias Bascome hitting a boundary-filled 83 from just 50 balls with six fours and seven sixes as he and Macai Simmons (19) shared in another century stand worth 101 for the fourth wicket in taking the score from 180 to 281.

After Simmons was dismissed four runs later on 285, Zeko Burgess and Temiko Wilson ended the innings with a flurry, putting on 47 for the unbroken sixth wicket.

Burgess dominated the stand, finishing with 43 from just 15 balls with four sixes and two fours.

Justin Pitcher led the St David’s bowling with two for 47 from ten overs while Dean Simons was the most expensive of the five bowlers used, giving up 100 in his ten overs.

George O’Brien conceded 50 from ten and Cejay Outerbridge 56 from his ten overs as St David’s toiled in the heat, Pitcher no doubt regretting his decision to send St George’s in.

“It was pretty much our best game of the season, we were very surprised when they won the toss and sent us in,” coach Clay Smith said.

“I’ve been preaching to these guys all year that if we bat 50 overs we’re going to win nine times out of ten because we have a deep batting line-up. Today the top five executed the game plan; to bat the 40 overs and look to accelerate in the last ten.

“I’m very proud of the team in terms of how we went about orchestrating this victory today.”

St George’s got an early but controversial breakthrough in the St David’s reply when, after opener Dean Simons went off with a leg injury, McLaren Lowe and new partner OJ Pitcher were involved in a mix-up that resulted in a run out of Lowe, initially, and then Pitcher.

The match was held up for more than ten minutes while the umpires tried to sort out the confusion, as both their captain and also coach Ricky Brangman came on the field to speak with umpires Emmerson Carrington and Steven Caines.

OJ Pitcher drove a ball down the crease, Shakai Darrell tried to throw down the wicket at the bowler’s end but missed from just a few feet as non striker Lowe and Pitcher tried for a single.

However, Allan Douglas was quick to recover the ball and run and break the wicket to run out Lowe.

However, confusion ensued when the St George’s players protested that the batsmen had crossed, leaving Carrington at the bowler’s end to change his mind and give Pitcher out.

Pitcher was halfway off the field when the St David’s captain came on to protest the decision to give him out. By now coach Brangman was also on the field to question the call, before eventually the decision was switched and Pitcher called back and Lowe given out.

Pitcher eventually made 35 off 50 balls but it was not enough as St David’s fell behind the required run rate as St George’s claimed crucial wickets to have the home team in trouble at 87 for four after 22.3 overs and 99 for five in the 25th over.

A century stand for the sixth wicket between brothers Ricardo and Derrick Brangman ensured that St David’s put up a respectable 239 for eight in reply in their 50 overs.

The pair carried the score from 99 to 209 with Ricardo scoring 59 before he was bowled by Zeko Burgess and Derrick Brangman finishing with the top score of 92 from 91 balls with ten fours and four sixes before he was bowled by Jonte Smith.

Spinner Shakai Darrell led the St George’s bowling with three for 31 from ten overs.

“Everybody played a part in today’s victory, and as long as we stick together, that’s the key,” Smith added.

St George’s

T Gibbons c R Brangman b J Pitcher 74

A Douglas lbw b D Brangman 29

J Smith b J Pitcher 40

*On Bascome b C Outerbridge 83

M Simmons c R Brangman b O’Brien 19

Z Burgess not out 43

T Wilson not out 2

Extras (14b, 13lb, 13w, 2nb) 42

Total (5 wkts; 50 overs) 332

†S Smith, S Darrell, R Trott and N Paynter did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-64, 2-165, 3-180, 4-281, 5-285.

Bowling: G O’Brien 19-1-50-1; C Outerbridge 10-0-56-1; D Brangman 10-0-52-1; J Pitcher 10-0-47-2; D Simons 10-0-100-0.

St David’s

D Simons b Darrell 12

M Lowe run out 3

OJ Pitcher c Douglas b Darrell 35

A Lamb c J Smith b Douglas 11

†R Brangman b Burgess 59

*J Pitcher c Paynter b Darrell 3

D Brangman b J Smith 92

G O’Brien c Douglas b Trott 5

L Marshall not out 0

K Fox not out 0

Extras (5b, 4lb, 9w, 1nb) 19

Total (8 wkts; 50 overs) 239

C Outerbridge did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-50, 3-83, 4-87, 5-99, 6-209, 7-230, 8-239

Bowling: Burgess 10-1-56-1; O Bascome 6-1-23-0; Darrell 10-0-31-3; Douglas 10-0-35-1; Trott 9-1-35-1; J Smith 5-0-50-1.

Umpires: E Carrington and S Caines