White Hill Field (PHC won toss): Willow Cuts beat PHC by 169 runs

Deunte Darrell scored a brilliant 115 runs off 75 balls and Kwasi James picked up five wickets for 19 runs to help champions Willow Cuts retain the Western Counties Cup by posting an effortless triumph over PHC on Saturday.

MVP Darrell hit ten fours and eight sixes coming in to bat at No 5 as Cuts posted 256 for nine in 50 overs after being asked to take first strike. James then took five for 19 runs, including the big wickets of Chris Douglas and Charles Trott, with PHC mopped up for 87 in 25 overs.

Chakote Wainwright (two for nine) and Dominic Sabir (two for 18) also played a huge part in bowling out PHC.

Darrell was delighted to notch up his maiden century in the competition, something he attributed to changing his approach to the game.

“It’s really great to score my first 100 in Western Counties for my team to keep the trophy and move to the next stage,” the 32-year-old told The Royal Gazette.

“I played each ball on its merit until I really got in and got hold of the bowling. To be honest, I was never bothered because the bowling was not that threatening, that’s why I was disappointed when I came out.

“I feel like I’m in a good nick of form. I’ve lost a bit of weight and I'm starting to get a bit serious about my cricket and I’m reaping the rewards.

“I don’t see us having much trouble with beating Somerset Bridge. Our biggest challenge should be Warwick this year.”

James, who was thrilled to pick up a second consecutive five-wicket haul after getting five for 23 against Devonshire Rec, felt that he profited from miscalculations made by the PHC batters.

“I’m just continuing where I left off by getting back-to-back five-fors,” he said.

“I bowled in the right areas, let the batters make the mistake and I was successful. Early on when the ball was new, I got it to swing but after that, I just tried to vary my pace.

“Getting the wicket of Chris Douglas set the tone. I think the rest of the bowlers fed off the energy that it caused, and we went on to win.

“With the bat, Deunte’s 100 set the tone. The way he batted gave us a little bit of momentum when we started bowling.”

Cuts lost their opening pair of captain Ras Solomon Burrows and Dwight Basden for 18 each. Sabir departed for one and James fell for 28 to leave the champions 116 for four.

Darrell then took charge of his team’s innings. The right-hander scored most of the runs in a 103-run fifth-wicket partnership with Kamal Bashir.

Colt Bryce Daniels eventually dismissed Darrell in the 42nd over when he had him caught by Sage Carter. Two balls later Shaquille Bean departed for Daniels to pick up his second wicket of the over.

While Bashir contributed 19, he too fell to Daniels, for the spinner to finish with four for 39 in seven overs.

James gave Cuts a dream start when Douglas fell for a three-ball duck, as his edge was taken at first slip by the 52-year-old Basden at first slip.

It was one-way traffic from there with the PHC batters making a beeline for the exit. Trott hung around for his 41-ball 33, one of the two to surpass double figures with Daniels on an unbeaten 14.

The all-rounder felt that the decision to send Cuts in after winning the toss was not the correct call.

“If I had known the pitch was going to play like that, I wouldn’t have batted first because we won the toss and chose to field,” Trott said.

“The pitch played great. Bounce wise, no movement and it was pretty flat. It was a batters paradise to be honest.

“I don’t think we bowled that bad in this heat. Our batting performance wasn't too good, the guys gave away their wickets too easily for me. We had 50 overs, that’s 300 balls to bat.

“I just needed a partner to stay with me. If I had a partner and we had a bit of runs from the start, then I feel that we could have done a lot better.”