Flatts handed PHC their first league loss of the season after PHC failed to chase down a modest 137 yesterday.

Darren Anglin had figures of five for 16 from ten overs as Flatts were dismissed in 43 overs with Regino Smith their top bat with 45 after coming to the wicket at 27 for two in the 13th over.

Anglin took the first three wickets, including two in his second over after coming on as first change and removing captain Kijuan Franks (16) and Dajon Carey for a duck. Stands of 30 and 27 for the next two wickets enabled Flatts to bring up the 100 in the 30th over when Smith was bowled by Ellsworth Bean after hitting four fours and a six.

Anglin, three for 11 after his first seven-over spell, then came back to claim two more wickets in his second as Flatts lost their last five wickets for 32 runs. Bean supported Anglin with two for 24 off six overs, but all Anglin’s hard work was in vain as Flatts hit back with some good bowling of their own to restrict PHC to 112 in 40.1 overs.

PHC only batted with ten men after Jahkari Hollis left the field and the ground during the Flatts innings following a confrontation with his captain Jelani Albouy. And even though they still managed to prevent Flatts from posting a big score with one-man short in the field, that eleventh batsman could have made a difference in the run chase.

PHC lost a wicket in the first over from Kijuan Franks when youngster Jerez Eve was run out without facing a ball after Ellsworth Bean called him for a quick single. They lost two more wickets on ten and 15 before a couple of partnerships gave them renewed hope.

“I’m definitely disappointed, having to chase a low total and then being behind the eight ball by having one player short,” said coach Cal Waldron. “I’ve been preaching all week that those players who have been giving me 20s have to give me a 40. It’s a reality check.

“You feel for a player who went out there and did his job with the ball and then the batsmen can’t sit up and pass a low total. With 300 balls we could have poked 150 of them and still expect to pass the total.”

After a bad start at 15 for three, a couple of crucial partnerships started to turn it around for PHC. Dev Hanuman was involved in both, adding 26 with Charles Trott for the fourth wicket as Trott struck two fours and a six in his 17. Hanuman and Kevin Lambe (18) then added 42 for the sixth wicket in taking the score from 50 to 92 by the 31st over.

Lambe departed and then Hanuman followed two overs later, both caught at mid-on as PHC were in deeper trouble now at 92 for seven.

“We had two good partnerships, Dev and CJ and then Dave and Kevin, but the others just need the awareness of what stage the game is at and what is required of them,” Waldron stressed.

“I didn’t see the incident, it was broken up and he [Hollis] was told he was allowed to go back on the field but he chose to avoid further confrontation and decided to leave.

“It is something that I as the coach and rest of the coaching staff have to deal with.”

Nelson Bascome claimed three for 18 off ten overs to lead the Flatts bowling as PHC lost their way after Lambe and Hanuman were sixth and seventh out on 92.

“It was a low total but sometimes low totals are the hardest to get,” said Franks, who took the new ball and then had to take over as wicketkeeper three overs later when Regino Smith injured his left hand. Flatts used three wicketkeepers with Cofield Robinson then going behind the stumps as Franks came back for a second spell and got the crucial wicket of Trott, caught at point, after he started to take on the Flatts bowlers with a couple of well struck boundaries.

“I’ve got a team full of bowlers and can call on anybody at any given time,” the captain assured. “We were confident in ourselves to defend the total, as long as we bowled in the right areas and the fielders backed up the bowlers.

“We knew once we got that partnership [between Hanuman and Lambe] broken that we were on the right track. They looked to have settled in but credit to my team, we have a lot of guys who can pick up the spirits in times like that. We needed that win to stay alive for promotion.”