Lord’s, St David’s (Cleveland won toss): Cleveland beat Warwick by one run.

Despite both sides playing out a thriller in this final game of the Athene T20 Premier Division, Cleveland and Warwick both waved goodbye to the season with relegation.

Going into the match, it was still mathematically possible one team could stay up on net run rate if Western Stars lost to Bailey’s Bay but the margins required meant there was little to play for.

With Stars dominating Bay early at nearby Sea Breeze Oval, this match turned into a battle to avoid the ignominy of finishing bottom of the league and it was Cleveland who came out on top by the smallest of margins

It was a bittersweet victory given the team’s position in the league but McGowan feels there is hope for the future, even if it is in the lower division.

“This is a hard one,” said McGowan, once a fearsome, tearaway fast bowler, recently fashioned as an all rounder. “Because we came off a loss, we really wanted to win against St George’s.

“Playing on the Saturday is kind of hard, because it’s difficult getting our full team, so we played with what we could as far as availability.

“We put in a good effort throughout the whole season. It was a slow start for us, but at the end of the day it’s all about progress for us, we’re sill in a building stage.”

Understanding the need for quick runs, Cleveland captain Mackih McGowan won the toss and chose to bat on a track that had served Somerset well early in the day, but proved a minefield to their opponents.

The reward was 133 for eight after 20 overs, not enough to worry Stars, but a reasonable target to challenge Warwick on the day.

McGowan (32) and Q’Shai Darrell (17) registered exactly 50 for the first wicket, the former in belligerent form with his runs coming from a mere 18 deliveries and including a six and five fours. Darrell was a solid foil scoring at a run-a-ball pace, his total including three boundaries.

The pace slowed with the departure of both openers within two runs of each other, as Stephen Bremar needed 34 balls for his 29, Makai Young facing nine for five, and Dennis Musson scoring 14 from 19.

Malachi Jones was Warwick’s best bowler with three for 15, while Jodi Maronie claimed two for 34.

Turning to bat, Warwick were in trouble the moment Jones was bowled by Jalani Richardson while attempting to push the score along, the consequence being a middle- order collapse that resulted in the men in red tumbling to 89 for eight.

A ninth-wicket stand of 47 between Robert Richardson (18 not out) and Luke Fulton (21) carried them to within shouting distance of what appeared the improbable before the latter was adjudged lbw to McGowan.

Warwick required eight from the final over, which started well for the batting side with Jalani Richardson bowling a no ball that triggered a free hit which yielded a single.

The final ball required three for victory, but a lofted drive to an occupied long off garnered only one, as the batsmen were slow responding, the chance of victory lost in the process.