Cleveland tightened things at the top of the One 50 Overs First Division yesterday when they beat leaders Willow Cuts in an exciting match at Wellington Oval.

Cleveland scored 242 all out and dismissed Willow Cuts for 205 with five balls left to close the gap in the promotion race, where Flatts regained top spot with a 19-run win over PHC at St David’s. Flatts scored 159 before dismissing PHC for 140.

Shakeal Outerbridge, the Willow Cuts batsman, looked like being the hero for his team after veteran Dwight Basden was trapped leg-before for 51 in the 28th over to make it 125 for four. Outerbridge and Joseph Basden put on 53 for the fifth wicket in the next 15 overs to keep Cuts in the hunt.

However, Basden’s departure on 178 for five after scoring a valuable 18, followed by Outerbridge’s exit seven runs later, turned the match in Cleveland’s favour. Outerbridge faced 81 balls and looked solid as he hit four fours and a six in 86 minutes at the crease before lofting a straight drive to long-on where Kioshi Trott held the catch.

That made it 185 for six and very quickly Cleveland had a hero of their own in 15-year-old Keith Whorms Jr, who came back for his second spell at the other end and claimed three wickets in one over to wrap up the win with figures of three for 26 from five overs.

Whorms shared the new ball with Jelani Richardson, who took the first Cuts wicket when he bowled captain Kamal Bashir after he added 31 with Kwasi James. Bashir scored 18 and James 15 before he was trapped leg-before after a second-wicket stand of 42 with Dwight Basden, which kept Cuts on course in their run chase.

Makai Young, Dennis Musson and captain Stephen Bremar all claimed two wickets for Cleveland.

Earlier, Bremar was the top bat for Cleveland with 45 from 54 balls, while Q’Shai Darrell scored 39 off 35 balls at No 3, hitting eight fours. Trott and player-coach Curtis Jackson also made useful contributions with 22 and 21 respectively before Young hit a brisk 43 off just 29 balls in the middle order to take Cleveland past the 200 mark. Young hit four sixes and a four.

Chikote Basden claimed three for 49 and Shaquille Bean three for 31 to lead the Cuts bowling.

• St George’s and Bailey’s Bay drew the Cal Wade Memorial match at Wellington Oval on Saturday.

St George’s posted 244 for five before declaring in a contest that also served as a Cup Match trial. Bailey’s Bay replied with 141 for six at the close.

Brian Hall led the St George’s batting with 64 not out off 82 balls after coming in at No 6 with the score 122 for four. Hall hit seven fours and a six, after sharing in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 88 with Charles Trott, who scored 39 not out from 61 balls, hitting three fours and a six.

St George’s had an opening stand of 72 in 11.2 overs between Treadwell Gibbons and Detroy Smith — Smith carrying on to score 60 off 65 balls after Gibbons departed for 31. Smith, next out on 101 for two in the 21st over, hit eight fours and two sixes during his stay at the crease with Oronde Bascome then adding 28 at No 3.

Lionel Cann, playing his first match of the season, was out for 15, stumped by Sinclair Smith off Isaiah Greaves who played for both teams as Bay were a man short.

Greaves took one for 42 off nine overs for Bay as another spinner, Jordan Smith, claimed three for 70 from 17 overs.

Bay, who open the defence of the Eastern Counties title against Cleveland on July 21, were led by Coolidge Durham’s 50 off 88 balls after he opened the batting with Pierre Smith. Durham had eight fours and a six in his innings before he was fourth out in the 31st over when the score was 120.

Next high man for Bay was Terryn Fray, who scored 32 off 37 balls at No 5, hitting two fours and three sixes. Captain Rodney Trott added 22 batting at No 3.

Detroy Smith completed a good all-round match, taking two for 27 off six overs after sharing the new ball with Trott who claimed one wicket.

Greaves bowled another seven overs, taking one for 20 off seven overs of left-arm spin.