Wellington Oval (Flatts Victoria won toss): St George’s beat Flatts Victoria by 59 runs

St George’s captain Onias Bascome struck a brutal unbeaten 164 runs off 110 balls, to guide his team to victory over Flatts Victoria in the first round of the BCB Knockout Cup on Sunday.

In an entertaining encounter that was reduced to a 37-over affair because of a late start necessitated by a wet outfield, Bascome’s efforts with the bat, which included ten fours as well as 16 sixes ensured that St George’s, who were rattled by a hat-trick picked up by Flatts spinner Nekoda Bascome batted their full overs to finish on 254 for nine after they lost the toss and were sent in to bat first.

Flatts, led in their run chase by a fiery 65-ball 85 from Detroy Smith could only manage 195-9.

St George’s were in all sorts of trouble after Nekoda Bascome picked up three wickets off consecutive deliveries in the eighteenth over.

He first removed Sinclair Smith, followed that up with the dismissal of Zeko Burgess, with both batters caught at short mid-wicket by Kijuan Franks before the bowler got a successful leg before decision against Oyinde Bascome.

Nekoda Bascome was not done tormenting the opposition batsmen and in his next over, he dismissed Jay McAninly to leave the St George’s reeling on 75-8 in the twentieth over to finish with four for 12 in four overs.

Having watched as wickets tumbled on the other end, the St George’s skipper, as the last recognised batsman made sure that he took most of the strike to protect his partners. Bascome’s ninth wicket partnership with Shakai Darrell yielded 85 runs compiled over 10 overs in which the latter’s contribution was just eight.

An unbeaten last wicket stand of 94 runs with Rohan Richards saw St George’s reach a total that had seemed unlikely at the start of their innings when slow medium pace bowler Smith easily took care of their top order with three quick wickets.

“I just had to put my head down, focus a lot more than I had to do in another situation, it worked out,’’ said the St George’s skipper.

Bascome has not seen much action for St George’s this season because of a shoulder injury. He saluted Darrell and Richards, mindful of the fact that without those two partnerships, he would have not been able to achieve what he accomplished.

“It feels good, I haven't really played a lot this season I've been injured,’’ he said.

“To come back and do something, have a match winning innings like that for my team, it was outstanding. I have to give credit to people that stayed there with me as well, Shakai Darrell and Rohan Richards, without them I couldn't have gotten a hundred.”

Flatts saw their run chase get off to a terrible start when Burgess bowled Jan-Johan Nel and Kevin Hurdle for ducks in the first over.

Smith struck six fours and seven sixes but once he departed in the thirty-third over, it was one way traffic with his team failing to reach their target.

While Flatts are out of the competition, St George’s are looking forward to Tuesday’s draw to see who they face the in the next round.

“As St George’s, we just have to keep going, whoever we get in the draw come Tuesday, we just have to focus in and make sure we do the job again,’’ Bascome added.

After batting his team back into the match, the St George’s captain sat out when Flatts went out to bat, with ice placed on his right shoulder but he explained that his injury had not reoccurred and his sitting out was a precautionary measure.