Lord’s (Western Stars won toss): Western Stars beat Flatts by eight wickets

Treadwell Gibbons and Tre Manders paced Western Stars to a comfortable win in their rain-affected first Twenty20 match in group B1.

Flatts could only manage 81 for seven after being sent in, with the Stars run-chase delayed by a rain interruption at 51 for one in the ninth over.

When play resumed, and with another shower and fading light threatening, Gibbons and Manders picked up the scoring to take them to the brink of victory.

Manders scored 34 from five fours and a six while Gibbons faced 33 balls, hitting five fours in his unbeaten knock of 32. He batted for 74 minutes.

The pair came together in the first over after Tamiko Wilson skied his drive to mid-off, only the third ball of the innings. Gibbons and Manders steadied the ship with a second wicket stand of 70 before Manders flicked a low full toss from Shawn Loving to Regino Smith at mid-wicket who took a fine catch.

Gibbons was joined by Jekon Edness and they scored the remaining 13 runs to reach 84 for two in 12.4 overs.

Earlier, opener Reggie Baker carried his bat through the Flatts innings to score 41 not out off 67 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes. He watched as seven partners departed at the other end, including key batsman Kijuan Franks who was run out first ball when he slipped going for a quick single and was beaten by Jaiden Manders’s throw to bowler Dalin Richardson.

Eventually Baker got late support from Shawn Loving who came in at No 8 and scored a useful 13, the only other Flatts batsman to reach double figures. Six Stars bowlers took a wicket each, with Richardson giving up nine runs in his three overs while fellow opener Seth Campbell conceded five in his two overs for his one wicket.

Despite losing Wilson in the first over, Stars looked comfortable in their run chase as Gibbons and Manders scored freely. Gibbons spent most of the Flatts innings off the field after twisting his knee while fielding, just after bowling his only over where he claimed the wicket of Kristof Von Tander.

Franks, who took the new ball for Flatts, claimed one for three in his two overs while Loving took the other wicket, although he was expensive in his two overs, going for 20 runs.