Southampton (PHC won toss) – PHC, 90-1, beat Warwick, 89, by nine wickets.

PHC are unlikely to have an easier game than this, this season, or any season come to that.

The holders retained their Western County trophy without breaking a sweat in a game as one-sided as it is possible to have.

That Warwick were always going to lose was beyond question, especially considering they are the worst team on the Island right now.

And the only reason the game lasted as long as it did was because PHC's bowlers spent the first hour trying to find the motivation to actually get the batsmen out.

In the end a game that began at 11.04 a.m., ended at 2.35 p.m., and took just 46.3 overs in total, was as pointless as the warnings issued for Tropical Storm Colin this weekend.

It might have lasted longer had Warwick won the toss and put PHC in to bat, but the Premier Division side won, put their challengers in, and the rest is history.

Warwick briefly made PHC work, Sherwyn Richardson and Daniel Morgan put on 31 for the first wicket, with Morgan hitting a couple of lusty sixes in his innings of 18.

The pair stuck around for 10 overs, seeing off the only-partially interested Kevin Tucker, before Morgan took a swipe at a straight full toss from Cal Waldron and was bowled.

Dean Stephens roused himself from his slumbers long enough to trap new-man Jade Darrell lbw, and when Richardson (12) got a leading edge to a Waldron delivery and was caught, Warwick were 38 for three.

Andre Burgess (16) and Lamar Caines (10) put on 31 for the fourth wicket, before the challengers suffered the kind of collapse that you might expect from a team of their stature. From 69 for three, they tumbled to 69 for eight, with Charles Symonds taking three wickets in one over.

The collapse started when Caines made the foolish mistake of listening to a spectator who suggested he 'hit it, or get out'.

Hardly a sensible suggestion given Warwick's position at the time, Caines' response was even less so, as he tried to crash a Hasan Durham delivery out of the ground.

Instead he chipped a catch to Kamau Leverock and then watched his side fall apart from the pavilion.

Warwick's tail wagged briefly, but the fact that they got so close to three figures had more to do with the 21 extras that PHC conceded, and the 90 to win that the holders were left to chase was never going to be enough.

The only surprise in PHC's innings was that they didn't open with Dean Stephens alongside Jason Anderson, had they done so, you get the feeling the game might have been even shorter than it was.

Instead Mark Smith (28), and Anderson (44 not out), put on 85, before Smith went for a huge hit to win, get an edge to a Ben James delivery, and was smartly caught behind by wicketkeeper Sherwyn Richardson.

Anderson wrapped up the game soon after, and PHC will now face Somerset Bridge in the final round of the competition in two weeks time.

Western Stars 210 for 8

YMSC 211 for 8

Young Men's Social Club retained their Central Counties title with a hard fought two wicket win over Western Stars at St. John's Field on Saturday.

They were led by Damon Robain who struck a fine knock of 66 to get the champions to the required target.

Batting first, the challengers Western Stars, posted a defendable 210 for the loss of eight wickets in their 50 overs, with Andre Manders grabbing the bulk of the runs with 72, while skipper Justin Robinson added 34.

Clay Darrell and Rodney Trott spearheaded YMSC's bowling attack, taking three and two wickets respectively.

In reply, YMSC scored 211for eight, with veteran Charlie Marshall hitting 42 and Trott scoring 30.

Skipper Robinson took three wickets for Stars, while Brian Hall claimed another two.