There was heartbreak for Willow Cuts and relief for St George’s Cricket Club after the Bermuda Cricket Board confirmed this afternoon that West End club will be the team to be relegated in the 50 overs league along with Somerset Cricket Club.

Cuts put up a gallant effort to stay up, beating Bailey’s Bay by 33 runs in their final match on Sunday. However, in the end just a single point separated them from St George’s in the standings after both teams won five of their ten matches.

St George’s ended up with 74 points and Cuts 73, with the latter further hampered by their no result match against Bailey’s Bay on June 19, from which both clubs were awarded five points.

Despite an impressive Cup Match victory by Somerset, there has been little to smile about in the league for the two West End clubs, with Somerset losing all ten of their 50 overs matches, including by default on Sunday which handed St David’s the league title without having to break sweat.

St David’s finished 17 points ahead of Bailey’s Bay in the title race, which could have been much closer had Somerset fulfilled the fixture, although a weakened Bay side were comfortably beaten by Cuts.

St George’s finished fourth in the standings, seven points behind Southampton Rangers who defeated them on the weekend to secure third place, four points behind Bay.

“On behalf of the executive of the Bermuda Cricket Board, we would like to congratulate St David’s County Cricket Club and Western Stars Sports Club for winning the Premier and First divisions respectively,” the board said in a statement.

“The 2022 50 Overs League was very competitive this season and both teams managed to come out on top.”

Cleveland County and Warwick Workmen’s Club will be promoted to the Premier Division in 2023 along with Stars as the top division is increased from six to seven teams. The First Division will go from eight to seven teams next season.

“We look forward to an even more exciting 2023 season as we continue to improve our domestic competitions,” the BCB added.

This weekend will see the start of the Athene T20 League with St George’s beginning the defence of their title in the second match of a double-header at Wellington Oval which also involves Flatts against St David’s in a First Division match.

The T20 league will be played until October 1, involving double-headers at three venues on Sundays for the rest of this month and then on Saturdays and Sundays until completion.