Wellington Oval (St David’s won toss): St David’s beat St George’s by five wickets

Isaiah O’Brien and Ricardo Brangman produced a match-winning partnership as St David’s ended the unbeaten run of St George’s in the Premier Division 50 Overs on Sunday.

Brangman (32) joined O’Brien (44) at the crease in the 24th over and together the pair added 66 runs in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership that carried St David’s across the line with 18.5 overs to spare.

Replying to St George’s’s 202 all out in 49.4 overs, St David’s got the chase off to a shaky start after Dean Simons (6) and Oliver Pitcher Jr (4) were dismissed cheaply in the space of three overs.

Scotland (61) and Tre Manders (34) steadied the ship with a timely 71 run third-wicket stand to get the chase back on track before the latter chopped a delivery from spinner Nzari Paynter onto his stumps.

Paynter struck again in his next over when he bowled his cousin, former St George’s captain Onias Bascome (11), to shift the momentum back towards St George’s.

Opening batter Scotland produced some exquisite strokeplay, particularly driving on the front foot, and reached his fifty off 57 balls after taking a comfortable single off Macai Simmons.

Simmons eventually got his man in his next over when Scotland was caught by Jahquil Hill at mid off to leave the match in the balance with St David’s 138 for four. Simmons then sent down four dot balls to incoming batter Brangman to complete a wicket maiden.

O’Brien and Brangman took over from there and kept the runs flowing with some excellent strokeplay of their own as they chipped away at their target.

With victory in sight, Brangman cut loose as he belted Simmons over the long-on and long-off boundaries for six off successive deliveries.

O’Brien then served the last rites when he dispatched Paynter to the cow corner boundary for four to preserve his side’s unblemished record.

Scotland was happy to have helped lay the foundation for his team’s successful chase.

“I feel good and that’s what the team needed today,” he said.

“We lost a few quick wickets and my job was the anchor to help the guys get themselves in around me.”

Earlier, spinner Kevon Fubler led the charge with the ball for St David’s as he produced a brilliant match haul of four for 35 against his former club.

He opened his account after pinning Jonté Smith (12) in front with a delivery that kept low off the deck.

Fubler then made a crucial breakthrough to snap a burgeoning 62-run partnership between Simmons (46) and Detroy Smith (22), when he had the former caught by O‘Brien on the square leg boundary.

Smith departed ten balls later after being grabbed by Bascome in the slips to secure Fubler’s third wicket of the match.

The experienced bowler kept the pressure on and was further rewarded when St George’s wicketkeeper, captain Sinclair Smith (5), was caught by Oliver Pitcher Jr at mid wicket as the hosts slipped to 149 for seven.

A dashing knock of 40 from 23 balls by Clay Darrell carried St George’s past 200 before he was last man out, stumped by wicketkeeper Ricardo Brangman off the bowling of Oliver Pitcher Jr, who claimed two for 43 and also took a catch and executed a run out.

Fubler, who had a loan stint with St George’s last season, was delighted to play his part with the ball.

“I am very pleased and just executed what I have been working on for the last few weeks, which is paying off now,” he said.

“The wicket was turning very square which I knew was going to be to my advantage.”

St David’s coach Ricky Brangman hailed his team’s performance.

“I am very pleased as a coach with the team which is coming together and working as a unit,” he said.

“The guys are respecting one another and it is working out good. We are all for one.”

Brangman’s counterpart Clay Smith felt the opposition were deserving winners.

“I thought we made a good account of ourselves. But at the end of the day we played one of, if not the best team on the island, and they were just the better team on the day.”