In the end the result was as many had predicted, but the manner of the outcome was certainly less expected.

St David's retained their Eastern Counties trophy with, what was eventually, a comfortable 75-run win over Flatts Victoria at Bailey's Bay on Saturday.

However, this game was a lot closer than the final margain of victory might suggest, and in a contest that swung one way, and then the other, the First Division side gave their more illustrious opponents a major fright.

Chasing 235 to win, Flatts were 113 for three with more than 20 overs remaining, and with Regino Smith and skipper Kijuan Franks at the crease, the challengers were in a commanding position.

The pair came together with Flatts wobbling at 48-3, and with smart running, and some powerful hitting put on 50 in 11 overs. Smith was responsible for the majority of those runs, hitting two towering sixes off fast bowler Justin Pitcher, and another off Delyone Borden that sailed high over the tents surrounding the boundary before disappearing into the distance for good.

Smith and Franks looked like guiding Flatts to within sight of victory, but instead Franks was out not long after, meakly chipping a catch to Borden at mid-on from a Del Hollis delivery that climbed more than he expected. Still at 113 four Flatts would have fancied their chances.

And they might have succeeded if Dwayne Leverock had been the next man at the crease, because all Smith needed at that stage was someone to stay with him. However Leverock, according to several Flatts players, refused to bat at that juncture and colt Barry Decouto was sent out instead.

From that moment on it all started falling apart for Flatts, Decouto lasted less than three overs before he became Hollis' second victim, and then the lack of support finally got to Smith who took a wild swing at a straight ball from Justin Pitcher and was bowled for 58.

At 124-6, any hopes Flatts might have had were gone, and despite some brief resistance from Nelson Bascome and Ryan Belboda, the last four wickets fell for just 35 runs.

Angelo Cannonier was the pick of the St David's bowlers, taking four for 31, and while the national team is struggling to find a bowling attack with bite, the selectors could do a lot worse than look the Islander's way.

"It was disappointing to lose in the end," said Franks, "especially after the way we performed in the field. We had a young squad, but I'm proud of the way the colts played. They didn't let the occasion get to them and performed well.

"In the end we just didn't have the depth in our batting line-up to chase them down. Bowling St David's out for 234 is a good day in the field, by any standard, but it was just out of our reach."

St David's will argue that they were never in any real danger of losing, believing that a side bursting at the seams with match-winners would always have found a way to prevail.

But they were fortunate to make as many runs as they did, especially given the rather bizarre decision to send Lionel Cann in at number 10, and they also benefitted from several pieces of rather bad fielding from Flatts.

The holders started the day badly, with Chris Douglas falling with just 20 on the board and when Chris Foggo (24) followed soon after, they were wobbling at 44 for two.

It should have been 54 for three, but Phillip Burgess dropped the easiest of catches to let Shae Pitcher off the hook when he had scored just three.

Fiqre Crockwell and Pitcher then steadied the ship and guided their side to 122 for two at lunch, but after the break the wheels fell off. Leverock took two wickets in his first over back, accounting for Pitcher and Landro Minors, and at 131 for four St David's were wobbling once more.

By that time however Crockwell had passed his 50, and was looking well set, until he misjudged a ball from Belboda and was bowled for 68.

Borden followed and at 152 for six Flatts sensed the chance of an upset. OJ Pitcher (47) and Justin Pitcher (25) managed to drag their side towards respectability, but St David's were eventually all out for 234, having lost eight wickets for just 112 runs.

Even so, the way Flatts began they might as well have been chasing 534. It took them until the seventh over to reach double figures, and once Cannonier had accounted for openers Vernon Eve and Burgess the challengers were struggling on 22 for two.

Their plight was made even worse when Justin Pitcher took the wicket of colt Isiah Lewis and at 48 for three the game seemed beyond Flatts. However Smith and Franks had other ideas, and came close to causing a huge upset.