Defending champions Devonshire Rec. only just managed to scrape home with a one-wicket victory against a spirited Southampton team as open league cricket got under way yesterday for the first time this season.

In reply to Southampton's 145, Devonshire struggled and eventually had to count on a defiant innings of eight from number 10 bat Troy Bean who combined to put on a vital 26 with top scorer Roger Trott who captured match honours with 93 not out.

Trott's marathon innings was what tore Southampton apart after they had looked capable of upsetting the home team. The opener batted for 132 minutes, faced 175 balls and struck leight fours and one six.

With the shock dismissals of Albert Steede (one) and skipper Anthony Amory (0) after receiving one ball from Ryan Belboda, Devonshire's position looked grim but Trott persevered with some patient batting and lively strokes when the occasion called for aggression. He joined in many crucial stands after Steede and Amory's dismissals had them reeling at 26 for four.

Trott and James Pace (19) added 41 for the fifth wicket and Erskine Smith (nine) joined him to put on 33 for the sixth wicket. Once Trott and Bean took the team to within victory with that fine ninth-wicket stand, it was Trott himself who got the winning runs with non-striker Mark Trott assisting by keeping out three balls.

Southampton's pace attack of Stevie Lightbourne and Belboda were inspired by the early wickets, but Devonshire were able to recover and prevent this duo from doing any further harm -- although young Janeiro Tucker grabbed four wickets later. Belboda had three for 27, Lightbourne two for 35 and Tucker four for 46.

Southampton reached a respectable total thanks to good knocks by Lightbourne (44), opener Olin Jones (35) and Michael Brangman (23). Lightbourne and Jones put on 65 for the second wicket while Lightbourne and Brangman added 30 for the third wicket.

Devonshire had an unlikely bowling hero in Leon Place who led their attack with five wickets for 16 off 11.4 overs, including four maidens. Mark Trott had three for 52 from 16 overs while Troy Bean had one for 30 and Anthony Edwards one for 38.

St. George's 195 Police 197-6 St. George's and Bermuda captain Wendell Smith hit 118 in nearly five hours at Police Field but still could not stop the home team from winning by four wickets with two overs to spare.

Smith was left to carry the St. George's batting after early-order batsmen Eugene Foggo, Ross Dowling, Graham Fox, Scott Carlington and Ross Steede all went cheaply leaving the visitors in bad shape at 45 for five.

Number seven and eight batsmen Kenny Phillips and David Adams were the only other St. George's men in double figures, as Phillips added 15 in a sixth-wicket stand of 56 and then Adams chipped in with a valuable 20 in a seventh-wicket stand of 76. Roger Blades led the Police bowling with four for 63 from 20 overs while Tyrone Smith claimed two for five from 4.4 overs.

St. George's had an early success when Graham Ward was bowled by spinner Eugene Foggo, who opened the bowling with Phillips, for two when the score was 20.

A second-wicket stand of 95 between Dennis Archer and Ferdinand Thorne kept Police on course for victory before Thorne was stumped by wicket-keeper Wendell Smith off Adams for 39.

Archer was third out for a top score of 76 when the score was 149 and his departure signalled a mini-collapse as further wickets fell on 150, 170 and 171, amongst them the prized wicket of Tyrone Smith who was lbw for 40 stretching on the front foot.

Barry DeCouto finished unbeaten on 19 as Foggo claimed three for 70 from 12.5 overs and Adams two for 59 from 12 overs. Phillips was costly in his eight overs, giving up 57 runs.

Somerset 129 Bailey's Bay 130-6 Veteran Noel Gibbons destroyed Somerset with a tremendous spell of seam bowling and team-mate Charlie Marshall gave a solid batting display as Bailey's Bay recorded a four-wicket victory at Somerset CC.

Gibbons was devastating with the ball, bowling 14.2 overs, of which five were maidens, and taking six wickets for 28 runs while Marshall completed the rout by the two senior players by finishing things off in style with a flourishing 56 not out.

Against an attack led by Gibbons, Clarkie Trott and Anthony Braithwaite, only Donovan Livingston looked comfortable. He was Somerset's top batsman with 46 before being run out, and of the remaining batsmen only Gladwin Edness (17) and opener Dwight Basden (10) reached double figures.

Taking wickets in addition to Gibbons were Trott with two for 17 off eight overs and Braithwaite who had one for 46 off 17 overs.

Bailey's Bay were troubled when opener Richard Foggo (0) went with ony four runs scored, but with Marshall in top form there was no reason to panic -- even though skipper Chris Smith (10) went with the total on 22.

Marshall went on to produce one of his best batting peformances of the young season, reaching his half-century off 84 balls and striking seven fours and two sixes. Marshall and Glenn Smith (27) put on 45 for the third wicket.

Bay reached victory with Marshall and young Tajmal Webbe (15 not out) at the wicket.

Charles Swan led the Somerset bowlers with three for 38 while Anthony Bailey had two for 22.

ROGER TROTT -- Hit a match-saving 93 not out for league champions Devonshire Rec.