Naquan Smith, Iejah Caines and Brian Hall shared eight wickets between them to inspire Western Stars to a 36-run victory that poured cold water on Dwayne Leverock’s first game as coach of Devonshire Recreation Club in their First Division Twenty20 game at Devonshire Recreation Club yesterday.

Seam bowler Smith snatched three for nine while off spinner Caines, three for 23, and Hall two for nine, also played their part as Devonshire were skittled out in 18.3 overs.

In reply to Stars paltry total, Devonshire lost early wickets and found themselves in a tricky position at 73 for five. Still, gathering another 46 runs with half of their order intact seemed a task well within Devonshire’s reach.

But the trio of Smith, Caines and Hall kept the pressure on to ultimately seal Devonshire’s fate. The home side’s last five wickets fell for just nine runs, leaving coach Leverock a very unhappy camper on the club balcony.

Ajaun Lambe, the former St George’s and St David’s batsman, led the Devonshire batting with 21 from 23 balls that included a four and a six.

Ricardo Brangman, the wicketkeeper, added 15 from 17 balls and also had a six and a four.

Father and son pair Wayne and Seth Campbell took one wicket each.

Stars were sent in to bat on a green top and at 75 for two looked destined for a larger total.

But the visiting side came unstuck against the bowling of Lamont Brangman who sliced through the middle and lower order as Stars lost five wickets for 13 runs.

That Stars reached triple figures owed much to the late fireworks from the bat of Seth Campbell who belted three sixes and a four in an explosive knock of 30 from 19 balls before he was run out on the last ball of the innings.

Opener Caines topped the Stars batting with 31 from 45 balls that included six fours while fellow opener and wicketkeeper Temiko Wilson added 14 and Macai Young 16 before Stars suffered a collapse.

Fourth-change bowler Brangman took three for 18, while Jamie Smith, Levar Talbot and Dennis Williams grabbed one each.

In the second match of yesterday’s T20 double-header, Devonshire bounced back from their opening defeat to cruise to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over PHC.

Wilbur Burt, the experienced seam bowler, claimed three for eight to reduce PHC to 95. Off spinner Levar Talbot and Lamont Brangman took one each while three run outs during the PHC innings did not help the visiting side’s cause.

Khiry Furbert, the wicketkeeper, and Charles Trott and Kevin Lambe were the only PHC batsmen offering resistance.

Furbert led the PHC batting with 39 that included three fours and two sixes while Trott and Lambe chipped in with 15 each.

Devonshire took just 11.1 overs to reach their target, with new signings Chris Douglas and Ajuan Lamb leading the run chase.

Lambe struck an unbeaten 31 that contained three fours and a six while Douglas was the top scorer with 42 that included six fours and a six.

The pair came together after Devonshire lost opener Steven Bremar cheaply and added 88 runs for the second wicket before Douglas attempted to finish with a flurry and had his middle stump pushed back by Dante Wellman with only three runs for victory required.

It was left to Lambe to serve the last rites in the next over, the batsman pulling Ja Onsi Outerbridge to the mid-wicket boundary to see the home side safely across the line with 53 balls to spare and give Leverock his first victory in charge at the second bite of the cherry.

Trott and Wellman claimed the only two Devonshire’s wickets to fall. Trott had figures of one for 21 from four overs while fellow seam bowler Wellman took one for 22 from two overs.

Scorecards, page 14