Western Stars 347-9,

Flatts 273

After posting what initially seemed a mammoth total in their allotted 50 overs, Western Stars must have thought that bowling out their opponents would be nothing more than a formality.

But with each pull, hook and drive from Flatts centurion James Celestine's blade, a gradual hush began to creep in around St. John's Field as the big-hitting batsman featured in a huge 187 run partnership with Derek Wright (59) that threatened to upstage his side's more fancied opponents in their own back yard.

Celestine finished on 118 as Flatts eventually finished 74 runs short of the target.

But at one stage the visitors were ideally poised at 231 for two with 19 overs still remaining.

However, once Stars' chief wicket taker Justin Robinson (four for 69) finally made the breakthrough to have Celestine heading back to the pavilion, Hasan Durham (three for 50) went straight for the jugular to leave Flatts' lower order batsmen in a spin.

The tailenders could only muster 42 runs between them.

Celestine cracked an incredible 14 sixes and four fours during an entertaining innings, while Wright kept the runs flowing at the other end with five sixes and two fours.

Wilbur Burt (two for 41) and Arnold Manders one for 36 also managed to claim a scalp for Stars.

Having handsomely decorated the scoreboard themselves in the early going, both skipper Albert Steede (90) and Gershon Gibbons (93) just missed out on reaching triple figures, while Jermaine Postlewaite (41) and young Treadwell Gibbons Jr (25) also contributed significantly to the total.

Steede stroked nine fours during his stay at the crease while Gibbons appeared to be rehearsing for the upcoming Bermuda Day Marathon and opted to acquire the bulk of his total running between the stumps.

Gibbons managed just one six and a four in his innings.

Celestine was also the pick of Flatts bowlers, capturing three wickets for 77 and player/coach Lloyd Fray two for 47.