Sea Breeze Oval (St David’s won toss): Cleveland beat St David’s by 147 runs

Cleveland County ended an interminable wait to win the Eastern Counties Cup on Saturday when they thrashed holders St David’s in a thrilling first-round match that left their fans and players crying with joy and relief.

It came 33 years and one day to the day that Cleveland last won in the Eastern Counties — July 18, 1981 — when they beat Flatts by three wickets at St David’s. That team contained the likes of Allan Douglas Sr and Dennis Musson Sr, whose sons played key roles in Saturday’s victory.

Allan Jr, who captained the team in a county match for the first time and Dennis Jr, the former captain, whose four wickets for 37 runs off 11 overs was significant for the team, as they dismissed St David’s for 137 in 46.5 overs after posting a mammoth 282 for eight in 53 overs.

Cleveland fans swarmed the field when Shaki Darrell ran out last man Del Hollis with a direct hit from mid-off after Hollis played a defensive shot and seconds later stepped out of his crease thinking the ball was dead. Umpire Oscar Andrade, after consultation with his colleague, Emmerson Carrington, raised his finger to confirm the dismissal and the victory for Cleveland.

“I’m ecstatic right now,” Douglas, the Cleveland captain, said. “This is the first time I’ve had a feeling like this in my life. It’s been 33 years, so I’m very excited with this victory; even my father never won it as a captain.

“I lost the toss and wanted to send them in to bat first and put some early pressure on them by taking some early wickets. When we ended up batting first, my plan was 250-plus. We were on target and decided to look for 270-280 after 55 overs and we were able to do it in 53 overs, which gave them 63 overs to make their runs.”

Jason Anderson was named the man of the match for his superb 76 on debut, hitting nine fours and four sixes in 98 minutes at the crease. He later took three catches in the St David’s innings, including a brilliant diving effort to dismiss George O’Brien, which left the champions in a big hole at 88 for five after 31 overs.

Also contributing run for Cleveland were guest player Dion Stovell, with 84 not out from 77 balls that included six fours and four sixes, and another colt, Treadwell Gibbons Jr, who stroked 35 off 43 balls. Douglas added a valuable 34 as the St David’s fielders toiled in the heat before Cleveland declared at 2.24pm.

Sammy Robinson, the eighth St David’s bowler used, was the only one to take more than one wicket, finishing with two for 15 from two overs. St David’s used nine bowlers, as the decision to send Cleveland in backfired, with Anderson and Courtney Trott, who made 18, adding 89 for the first wicket in 68 minutes, as Trott played the perfect supporting role.

Chris Douglas, the guest player from Willow Cuts, hit a rapid half-century, which included seven fours, as St David’s also reached their first fifty in the ninth over. But he received little support. Justin Pitcher made 22 at No 9, although Robinson, who arrived at the fall of the second wicket, held on in a dogged innings as St David’s tried to dig their heels in and play for the draw. He took 2½ hours over his 12 runs, coming to the crease at 3.33 — just before tea — and finally departing at 6.28 to make it 125 for eight, by which time a defeat was definitely on the cards for St David’s. They had won the cup back only last year when they beat Bailey’s Bay in the second round.

Douglas, who rotated his bowlers to great effect, supported Musson with two for 19 from four overs. Cleveland used eight bowlers, with Stovell opening the bowling with his off spin and claiming one for 26 from nine overs.