St David’s start title defence with defeat against St George’s
Wellington Oval (St George’s won toss): St George’s beat St David’s by 51 runs.
St George’s came out on top in front of their own fans to continue their fine start to the season in an exciting East End derby against defending Premier Division 50 Overs champions St David’s on Sunday.
St George’s recovered from an early collapse to post a challenging 240 from 47.2 overs, with all-rounder Charles Trott leading the fightback with a half-century on his return from injury.
Zeko Burgess and Nzari Paynter then claimed three wickets each as St George’s withstood a courageous middle- order fightback by St David’s to secure a hard-fought victory and preserve their unblemished record.
“It was a big team effort today,” Sinclair Smith, the deputising St George’s captain, said.
“I think having Charles back was a big bat for us, especially negating the left-arm spin of Derrick Brangman. That kind of battled us through to about 107 and then I got out.
“I also want to big up Mishael Paynter coming in at eight. The tail end carried us through with Zeko’s cameo as well.”
St David’s overcame a top-order slide of their own with Brangman and Mikkail Crockwell adding 98 for the seventh wicket to keep them in with a fighting chance.
However, once Australian Jason Jay McAninly made the big breakthrough to dismiss Brangman in the 35th over, the end came swiftly for the visitors, with their remaining three wickets falling for 14 runs in the space of five overs.
“I am glad the response the team made after the second water break,” Smith added. “We came back and got four wickets within the first five overs so it was a big team effort for us today.
“Getting Derrick out and then putting the pressure on Mikkail as the senior batsman changed his mind as opposed to Derrick leading him through.
“I think those wickets and those kind of changes helped us with our bowlers getting that confidence as well.”
St George’s got off to a bright start with Paynter (19) and Oronde Bascome (25) adding 44 for the first wicket after opting to take first strike on an
excellent batting track, but they were pegged back after Paynter played a George O’Brien ball on to his stumps with four wickets falling for 25 runs in ten overs to place St David’s in the ascendancy.
Coming in at No 4, Trott led the recovery with a good innings of 76 from 92 balls. He added 38 with captain Smith (21) and 47 with Burgess (19).
Trott brought up his fifty off 69 balls in eye-catching fashion in the 32nd over as he dispatched Brangman to the mid-wicket fence for four before hoisting the left-arm spinner’s next ball over extra cover for six.
The all-rounder was then dropped twice before being bowled by Isaiah O’Brien.
Mishael Paynter (13) then carried his bat through to the end to see the hosts to a good total.
Isaiah O’Brien was the pick of the St David’s bowling with three for 29, while Brangman and Aaron Paynter took two each.
In reply, St David’s found themselves reeling at 77 for six in the 24th over, with the experienced Shannon Rayner (0), George O’Brien (11), Oliver Pitcher (11) and captain Justin Pitcher (18) among the casualties.
However, dashing half-centuries from the swashbuckling Crockwell (60) and Brangman (57) dragged them back into the match with some powerful stroke play keeping the scorers busy.
Crockwell reached his fifty, off 46 balls, in the 32nd over in style after smashing Rohan Richards over the deep extra-cover boundary for six and Brangman’s half-century arrived in the next over with a single off McAninly.
The game hung in the balance as St David’s closed in on their target before Nzari Paynter took a brilliant running catch off the bowling of fourth-change McAninly to dismiss Brangman.
Crockwell’s innings then came to an end four overs later as he played around a Paynter ball and was stumped behind by Smith to all but secure the win for St George’s.
Seamer Burgess led the St George’s attack with three for 45, while off spinners Paynter and McAninly claimed three for 49 and two for ten respectively.
“I am just grateful for the opportunity that the coach [Clay Smith] and the captain have given to me and I’m happy to have paid back their confidence and belief in me with a good performance,” Paynter said.
St George’s
N Paynter b O’Brien 19
O Bascome c O’Brien b O Pitcher Jr 25
T Wilson c J Pitcher b O’Brien 1
C Trott b O’Brien 76
M Simmons run out 4
*†S Smith lbw b Brangman 21
Z Burgess c O Pitcher Jr b Paynter 19
M Paynter not out 13
J J McAninly run out 7
S Darrell lbw b Brangman 5
R Richards b Paynter 3
Extras (b 11, lb 8, w 27, nb 1) 47
Total (47.2 overs) 240
Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-54, 3-54, 4-69, 5-107, 6-153, 7-195, 8-220, 9-226, 10-240.
Bowling: O’Brien 9-2-29-3; Crockwell 3-0-18-0; Paynter 7.2-0-42-2; O PItcher Jr 5-1-20-1; J Pitcher 10-1-46-0; Brangman 10-0-58-2; Minors 3-0-8-0.
St David’s
S Rayner b Burgess 0
†G O’Brien c Bascome b Simmons 11
S Robinson b Burgess 4
O Pitcher Jr b N Paynter 11
*J Pitcher b N Paynter 18
D Brangman c N Paynter b McAninly 57
I O’Brien run out 0
M Crockwell st Smith b N Paynter 60
E Ball lbw b McAninly 0
A Paynter not out 8
J Minors b Burgess 0
Extras (lb 4, nb 2, w 14) 20
Total (39.3 overs) 189
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-13, 3-30, 4-37, 5-73, 6-77, 7-175, 8-175, 9-189, 10-189.
Bowling: Burgess 9.3-1-45-3; Darrell 9-0-34-0; Simmons 6-0-30-1; Paynter 10-2-49-3; Richards 2-0-17-0; McAninly 3-0-10-2
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