Cleveland 155 Cleveland joined Southampton Rangers in taking the drop to the First Division Overs next season after losing their final Premier Division match against Willow Cuts at Wellington Oval yesterday.

Needing to win to move level on points with Bailey's Bay and thus force the second relegation spot to be decided by net run rate, Cleveland found themselves chasing a big total after Willow Cuts amassed 231 from their 50 overs.

And it proved beyond them as they could only manage 155 in reply, giving Cuts a 76-run victory and moving them into a tie for second place with St.

George's.

Cuts captain Dexter Basden led their batting with an unbeaten 94, just failing to reach his second century of the season before the overs ran out.

Basden hit four sixes and nine fours in his knock which took him past 900 runs for the season. It was the eighth time this season he has passed 50.

Supporting Basden in the batting was Joseph Matthews with 28, the pair adding 87 for the fifth wicket, while Davon Wade scored 25 and opener Jermaine Warner 22.

Andre Smith claimed two for 60 for Cleveland off 10 overs while David Gibbons, Quincy Burgess, Gregory Talbot and Johnny Richardson all had one wicket apiece.

Cleveland suffered an early setback when their first three wickets went down for just 31 runs, with Wayne Smith, Jason Simons and Curtis Jackson all failing to reach double figures.

The veteran Rodney Fubler picked up two of the first three wickets when he trapped Simons lbw and then bowled Jackson while Steven Brown at the other end removed Smith.

Johnny Richardson, promoted up the order to number four, and Allen Douglas repaired the early damage when they put on 62 for the fourth wicket in taking the score to 93 before the stand was broken with a brilliant diving catch by Richard Basden at square leg to dismiss Douglas for 44. His knock contained four sixes and a four as Douglas took up the challenge for Cleveland.

Richardson's long innings -- 103 minutes -- ended at 119-5 when he was trapped lbw by Charles Swan for 21. No other Cleveland batsmen reached double figures after that as they slumped to 155 all out in 44.4 overs with victory clinched in near darkness at 7.21.

Swan, the fifth Cuts bowler used, finished with four for 38 from 10 overs while Fubler had two for 28 off 10 and Richard Basden two for 16 off 3.4 overs of spin.

Cleveland, who clinched promotion in the Open championship along with Devonshire Rec., are hoping to finish their season on a successful note next weekend when they play Eastern Counties rivals Bailey's Bay in the Knockout Cup final at Lord's.