Sea Breeze Oval (St David’s won toss): Bailey’s Bay beat St David’s by 72 runs

Bermuda captain Delray Rawlins produced a solid all-round display to inspire Bailey’s Bay to a comfortable win over Premier Division 50 Overs champions St David’s yesterday.

The Sussex all- rounder was a surprise addition to Gus Logie’s team and demonstrated his class as he led Bay’s batting and bowling attack.

Rawlins thumped 36 from 40 balls and added a vital 63 in a fourth-wicket partnership with Azende Furbert (29) to stabilise Bay’s innings after a mini slide, and laid the foundation for a total of 208 that proved beyond their opponents’ reach.

He also claimed three for 27 with his slow left-arm spin, including the prized wicket of the in-form Derrick Brangman, who smashed a game-high 57.

“I was just having fun, really,” Rawlins told The Royal Gazette. “It was nice to get some runs and contribute to a win.

“Obviously every time you turn up you just want to win. So it was fun, I was happy and hopefully everyone enjoys it.

“I’ve got a bit of time off and it’s nice and refreshing to be at home for a bit and go from there. I am not entirely sure how long I am going to be here for, but it’s just nice and refreshing.

“I played for Bay before I went away, so it was never a question who I would play for if I came back to the island.”

The victory catapulted Bay to the top of the standings and extended their unbeaten start to the season to three games.

Bay struggled to pick the gaps during the power play after being sent to bat and found themselves in a spot of bother after losing three wickets for 17 runs in six overs, with captain Terryn Fray (2) among those falling cheaply.

However, Rawlins came to the rescue with a typically aggressive innings that included four boundaries and a six during a timely and crucial partnership with Furbert.

“That’s how cricket goes; people get out and wickets tumble but it’s always going to be a partnership,” Rawlins said.

“Someone is always going to put their hand up and get some runs, so it’s just who is it on the day.”

Rawlins seemed destined for a half-century but was eventually dislodged after being caught at mid-wicket by George O’Brien Jr off the bowling of Justin Pitcher.

“Another day I could have gone on longer. But it is what it is and as long as it contributes to a win I am happy,” Rawlins said.

Rawlins’s dismissal ignited another slide as three wickets fell for six runs in two overs before Rodney Trott (10), Michael Agard (20) and Shakeal Outerbridge (27) all made useful contributions lower down the order to see the hosts past the 200 mark.

St David’s contributed to their own downfall, leaking 54 runs in extras, including 38 wides, as their bowlers struggled with their lines.

Left-arm spinner Brangman fared best among the St David’s attack with figures of four for 49, while Isaiah O’Brien took two for 28 with the new ball.

St David’s got the run chase off to a poor start after being reduced to 32 for four inside the power play, with captain Justin Pitcher (4) and fellow senior players Ricardo Brangman (2) and George O’Brien (3) all dismissed cheaply.

Brangman (57) and OJ Pitcher (40) added 61 for the fifth wicket to stop the rot before off spinner Sharye Tavares made the breakthrough after trapping the latter leg-before as he swept across the line.

Brangman soldiered on and brought up his second straight fifty, off 71 balls, after smashing Agard to deep mid-wicket for six and finding the third-man boundary for four off successive balls as he added 24 with Mikkail Crockwell (6) for the sixth wicket.

But the wheels came completely off for St David’s, with the visiting team’s last five wickets tumbling for only nine runs in just five overs after Crockwell and Brangman were dismissed as slow bowlers Rawlins and Tavares ran through the order without much resistance.

“I just tried to hit the stumps, just bowled straight and, if they miss, then hopefully I hit,” added Rawlins, whose key dismissal of Brangman virtually secured Bay’s impressive victory.

“It’s no mystery to it. It’s just really trying to be consistent with my line and my length.”

Off spinner Tavares led the Bay bowling with three for 14 while new-ball bowlers Jordan Burgess (two for 31) and Zakao Hart (two for 16) also contributing.

No other St David’s batters reached double figures with Bay conceding 19 in extras, including 13 wides.