Sea Breeze Oval (Cleveland won toss): Cleveland beat Flatts by seven wickets

Cleveland made quick and easy work of Flatts in the Eastern Counties Cup final on Saturday, dismissing the challengers for just 57 in 20.1 overs and then reaching their target for the loss of three wickets by 2.30pm.

Rules governing the competition call for the match to continue to at least 4.30pm and in an attempt to give the large crowd value for money, Cleveland reached 175 for eight before the two teams agreed to end the match.

The match was effectively over as a contest inside the first two hours when, after a late start of 10.20am, Flatts’ innings ended at 12.15pm. The Flatts batting line-up, which included four colts, including captain Cofield Robinson and Azeem Pitcher from the Evening Cricket League, had no answer to the menacing seam bowling of Dennis Musson and Damali Bell, who were the only Cleveland bowlers required, taking nine wickets between them.

Musson, voted man of the match, had impressive figures of 10.1-2-24-5 while Bell, a left-armer, had almost identical figures of four for 24 from ten overs, with two maidens.

Flatts looked a shadow of the team that posted 294 against Bailey’s Bay only two years ago on the same ground. Their hero that day was Regino Smith with a knock of 145, but Flatts were already in deep trouble by the time the college student came to the crease at 31 for four in the tenth over. Smith lasted just two overs, facing 12 balls, before he became Bell’s third victim as Flatts sunk deeper in trouble at 34 for five.

Only Kijuan Franks reached double figures with ten. The 15 extras conceded by Cleveland was the main contribution in the innings.

Courtney Trott and Jason Anderson put on 21 for the first wicket after opener Treadwell Gibbons retired hurt in the first over when he reinjured his knee attempting an off drive. Gibbons has been carrying the injury for most of the season after first being sidelined during the Belco Cup semi-finals in May.

The setback proved to be no obstacle for Cleveland, as they reached their target comfortably with colt Randy Bean and captain Allan Douglas Jr at the crease.

Trott was the first wicket to fall for six, then, in their best spell of the match, Flatts picked up two wickets on 41, with Steven Douglas Jr out for eight and Anderson going for 26.

There would be no more success in what proved a meek challenge by Flatts before the new champions turned their hand to entertaining the crowd. Douglas hit two fours and a six for his 18 before Damon Rabain, with 22, and Dion Stovell, in a hard-hitting 78, carried on with a sixth-wicket stand of 99 that carried the score from 66 for five to 165.

Stovell, who scored a match-saving century against Bailey’s Bay in the previous round, was on course for his third Eastern Counties hundred when he was bowled by Vernon Eve, his Southampton Rangers team-mate. Stovell hit ten fours and three sixes in 53 minutes at the crease.

Flatts’ new-ball pair of Franks and Nelson Bascome took three wickets apiece, Franks giving up 33 runs in 11 overs and Bascome going for 63 in 12. Eve claimed two for 40.