St George’s kept the pressure on new leaders Flatts for the automatic promotion spot when they beat Warwick Workmen’s Club by three wickets in a low-scoring match at Wellington Oval yesterday.

Warwick posted just 128 after winning the toss before St George’s replied with 129 for seven after making difficult work of their run chase.

Jelani Carlington and Isaiah Greaves, batting at No 8 and 9, shared in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 26 to help their team to victory.

The pair finished with seven and 16 not out after Onias Bascome led the batting with 34 before lofting a catch to Andre Burgess at square leg. He and Dean Simons carried the score from 65 to 95 when Bascome was sixth out.

Mishael Paynter was the next top scorer for St George’s with 20. He opened the batting and watched three quick wickets fall at the other end as Warwick pegged the home team back at 21 for three at tea. Okera Bascome, Nzari Paynter and Detroy Smith all went cheaply inside the first seven overs.

St George’s, whose previous game against Willow Cuts on July 23 was not played after only one umpire showed up, almost had another home game called off just two days after Cup Match when no umpires showed up.

The match started 20 minutes late with coaches Lorenzo Tucker and Ryan Steede agreeing to stand in the middle, with Clay Smith, the Bermuda coach, showing up later to take over from Tucker.

“I was supposed to play so I had to sacrifice myself and that almost cost us in the end,” Steede said. “We had to play that game today, that was the reason why I umpired, because I wanted to play. That was the gamble I had to take. We had nobody at the field that we could ask to officiate.”

St George’s were also missing experienced batsman Lionel Cann, who is off the island.

Warwick were reeling at 76 for eight when tail-enders Josi Butterfield and Kenneth Darrell shared in a 51-run stand to bring up the 100. Butterfield, batting at No 9, was his side’s top scorer with 32 not out off four fours and a six, while Butterfield scored 16 and Cameron Jeffers 18.

Warwick kept the pressure on after tea and removed St George’s captain Macai Simmons for two after he was bowled by Darrell going for a big hit.

Mishael Paynter and Onias Bascome added 30 runs for the fifth wicket before the stand was broken when Paynter was caught at mid-off by Jeffers off Stefan Dill’s bowling.

Bascome and Dean Simons then added 30 for the sixth wicket before the pair departed in the space of eight runs as Warwick kept on the pressure.

However, Carlington and Greaves kept calm heads to reach the required target.

Dill and Darrell shared six of the St George’s wickets, with Dill finishing with three for 22 while Darrell had three for 28.