Southampton 236

Warwick 237-4

Warwick's young guns have arrived!

In one of the Bermuda cricket season's most engrossing matches, the youngsters who have promised so much in recent years came of age on Saturday to claim the Western Counties championship from a highly-experienced Southampton Rangers line-up.

The comprehensive, six-wicket beating - with Warwick calmly replying to the opposition's 236 all out in 48.3 overs with 237 for four in 47.1 overs - was completed by Dion Stovell, one of the heroes of the youthful challengers.

Turning the first delivery of the 48th over, bowled by Malachi Jones, through mid-wicket for a single, the 20-year-old fittingly ushered his team to the necessary target with the same cool demeanour he and skipper Kian Butterfield had exhibited in their crucial 120-run, fourth-wicket stand that cemented the result at Southampton Oval.

Stovell's unbeaten 70 from 79 balls (eight fours, one six) with polished strokeplay on both the leg and offside and Butterfield's 71 off 91 balls (nine fours, two sixes) with some equally delicious shots had Rangers, led by veteran Keith Wainwright in Janeiro Tucker's absence, scratching their heads as they retrieved the white ball after each telling boundary.

A flurry of questions were being asked of Rangers but a squad boasting the likes of Wainwright, Clevie Wade, Stevie Lightbourne and Ricky Brangman Sr, appeared to have few, if any, answers.

Ironically, the wealth of cricketing wisdom which was anticipated to benefit Rangers backfired as the greying heads in the host club proved a liability; hard pressed to bend, stretch or furthermore dive for the ball as it rocketed past them, often within mere inches of their reach.

Looking increasingly tired and ragged, Rangers - who only last weekend wrested the title from PHC who had themselves won it from Willow Cuts - saw their grip on the trophy loosening and, in keeping with the momentum, effervescent Warwick duly prevailed, team members and fans invading the pitch to celebrate.

For the third and final time this season, the Western Counties crown changed hands.

“This is a big performance. Everybody has been talking about us for a while and we showed we can do it. Yes, they didn't have Janeiro but they had a lot of other big names and even with them, we played well.

“It makes us feel like all our hard work has paid off,” said Butterfield, cradling the cup as his team-mates prepared to fill it with alcohol.

Noting that he and Stovell - who united with Warwick tenuously balanced on 105 for three - matured greatly in Jamaica where they represented Bermuda in the West Indies Cricket Board's Under-19 tournament, the Warwick captain explained their plan was to “take it ball by ball”.

“It was hard but we kept reminding each other to keep our heads down and focus,” said the 19-year-old who was bowled by Jones with Warwick 12 runs adrift of victory.

Coach-player Allan Douglas Sr, who was at the wicket when Stovell performed the last rites, was thrilled with his young unit.

“This was a great effort. We didn't do anything all year and we worked hard for this. We have beaten Southampton before and we knew we could do it.

“I have to give credit to the batsmen. They batted how Bermuda's senior team needs to learn to bat. They took the ones and twos and played sensibly,” he declared, adding that Warwick is capable of greater feats if his charges concentrate for an entire season.

One area that displeased the veteran cricketer was the fact that Warwick conceded a mammoth 74 extras - 46 of them wides! It was a problem which plagued them last year but which they rectified this season up until Saturday.

“But today (Saturday) we went back to last year's habits and it's something we will have to work on again,” said Douglas.

Extras apart, Rangers' total was built around 43 (six fours) from opener Wainwright and a handful of middle-order contributions from Olin Jones Sr (32), Wade (29) and Lightbourne (18).

Guest player Clarkie Trott was the pick of Warwick's bowlers with five for 41 from 9.3 overs, holding a return catch from Ryan Belboda to end the innings, while Butterfield took two for 32 from ten overs.

The match was evenly poised with Warwick on 105 for three in their reply. A few more inroads and Rangers would have fancied their chances of retaining the cup. However, Butterfield and Stovell would have none of it. After the losses of openers Stephen Bremar Jr (21) and Allan Douglas Jr (ten) and number-three batsman Daniel Morgan (39), they swung the tide firmly in the visitors' favour and there was no looking back.

Belboda was the best of Rangers bowlers, taking one for 28 from ten overs while three others also had a wicket apiece.

Wainwright attributed the defeat to bad batting which saw the home side slump from 132 for two to 236 all out. Partnerships of 83 for the second wicket and 72 for the seventh were the two stands of note.

“We were well placed but we lost wickets at bad times. We had an excellent start and we should have made at least 270. In the field, we were bad. With a bit more effort, some half-chances could have been taken.

Enthusiasm was lacking in our team. I'm very disappointed,” said the stand-in captain frankly.

Stovell, playing against a team to which he is considering relocating next season, was pleased to savour his third success at Warwick.

“This means a lot for the club. I think I batted well and I showed a lot more patience which is one of the things I learnt in the Caribbean. You have to pick up the ones and twos in between the boundaries,” said the talented all-rounder.

Trott hailed his young peers, predicting that with a bit more grooming Warwick will fulfill their rich potential.