Change is good.

And Bailey's Bay will be the first to attest to that after Saturday night's march from St. David's with the Eastern Counties Cup.

The Islanders' six-year reign as champions came to a crashing halt after at one stage they appeared to be en route to a comfortable victory.

But, on a day when batsmen looked second rate, Bay's 168 would prove to be a mountain to climb ... and St. David's came up well short.

Fast bowler Anthony Braithwaite, who has played only a handful of games this season, was Bay's hero with a wicket haul of five for 31 from 13.2 overs.

It was his dismissal of Herbie Bascome at 6.30 p.m., with 5.4 overs remaining that sent the Bay supporters into a frenzy of celebration, which would carry on throughout the night.

The field was a sea of red and white with Bay fans and players alike jumping and screaming in delight awaiting the presentation -- the official changing of the guard.

"We struggled to score those 168 runs,'' said an elated Bay skipper Chris Smith after the match. "When we were 121 for six we figured it would be hard to score on that wicket. So we figured 170 would be a good target for us to defend and so it went that way.'' St. David's were in trouble almost immediately as Anthony Foggo (five) was bowled by Braithwaite playing across the line with the score 11.

Before the cup-holders had time to catch themselves Bay struck thrice more with Shea Pitcher, Wendell Smith and Allen Richardson falling by the wayside.

Pitcher was trapped in front by Braithwaite for six, Noel Gibbons took a fine catch at mid-on to dismiss Smith for 11 and Richardson played forward half-cocked and was out lbw to Terry Burgess for two.

The Bay supporters were in their glory while St. David's were in a state of shock at 26 for four with Albert Steede and Lionel Cann at the wicket.

Cann has enjoyed a spectacular season, but is known to want to get at the bowling early. He did not disappoint and scored eight from his first three balls, though neither shot was one of confidence.

With help from the more experienced Steede, Cann settled down and the two looked to be playing St. David's back into the match.

But at 69, Steede did the unexpected and hit a long hop from Glenn Smith right into the hands of Braithwaite on the mid-wicket boundary. He had made 11 in 99 minutes.

"It was just a matter of time for them guys and they were not going to stay that tight,'' explained Chris Smith.

Smith, in fact, employed two surprise spinners with Clarkie Trott coming from the Lord's end while Glenn Smith bowled leg breaks from the club end as Bay attempted to emulate the success St. David's had earlier.

Trott accounted for Cann with a full toss that the 20-year-old tried to hit over long-on. Somehow, the ball ended up at long-off and Braithwaite took the catch 10 yards inside the boundary.

Cann scored 30 in 100 minutes and hit four fours. That set the stage for Braithwaite to return for his second spell from the club end and he did not disappoint skipper Smith.

He sent James Pace back for 12 to make the score 103 for seven and then there was a dismissal that surely had to signal a change in venue for the Eastern Counties Cup.

Trott took his second wicket from a full toss, Reginald Pitcher smashing the ball to short leg fielder Jermaine Outerbridge who caught the ball between his legs! The end was swift as Braithwaite trapped Oliver Pitcher lbw after a dour innings of 12 and then bowled Bascome off his pads.

New ball partner Terry Burgess took two for 28 from 13 overs and Trott two for 19 from 13.

Charlie Marshall's 50 was largely responsible for Bay's total. By their own admission, it was an innings that went unfulfilled after a promising start of 112 for two.

Despite losing skipper Smith for two with the score nine, Bay hardly looked in trouble during the early going.

Marshall was set almost immediately and opening bat Devrae Hollis, but for a few airy shots, looked the part.

But the introduction of left-arm leg-spinner Reginald Pitcher started a sensational collapse. And skipper Pace came on at the other end with his off-spin as a complement.

Hollis was out for 24 to a fine catch at leg slip by Oliver Pitcher at 66, then Marshall and Ricky Hill (15) added 46 before the former attempted to hit into the teeth of the wind and was caught inside the square leg boundary by Herbie Bascome -- both wickets falling to Pitcher.

Marshall had hit eight fours and a six and batted 99 minutes. There was little else for Bay to be happy about in the innings as Glenn Smith went down the wicket against Pace, forgot the ball and was stumped for nought and Hill (15) hit a Pitcher full toss straight to Ken Pitcher at deep mid-wicket.

Colt Andre Manders made 18 and Jermaine Outerbridge 23 to pad Bay's total at the end.

Pitcher finished with five for 53 and Pace four for 41 as the spinners bowled all but 13 of the 52.1 of the Bay innings.

. . . THERE IT IS! -- Bailey's Bay hero Anthony Braithwaite celebrates the dismissal of anthony Foggo that started St. David's downward spiral on Saturday.