The curtain may have come down on the 2026 cricket season, with bats, pads, balls, and stumps packed away for the coming months and bodies allowed to recover from extended periods of chasing shiny red objects in the summer heat.

However, for at least one side next year cannot come soon enough as twilight success stirs hope of a fruitful dawn.

Somerset Bridge has long typified how “the spirit can be willing, yet the body weak”. They can often be counted on to show up with great enthusiasm, only to leave with their bubble burst.

But Bridge ripped up that familiar script after easing past Flatts Victoria and undefeated Cleveland to win the Knockout Cup semi-finals and final in one weekend a couple of weeks ago.

Victory showed positive signs of a future that gleams rather than fades and buffering that hope is a rich crop of teenagers, each of whom contributed during the just-concluded season.

Opening batter Patrick Dill, 18, led Bridge past Flatts with a mature half-century, while Henrik McIntosh, just 14, did damage with his version of off-spin.

Also exhibiting great promise is Kenzo Riley, the son of veteran all-rounder Shawn Riley, who bowls a combination of seam and orthodox left-arm spin.

“Throughout the season we focused a lot on our development,” explained coach Shane Hollis. “It was a hard season, with a lot of gaps between games.

“It made it difficult to keep guys motivated to play, but we focused on just enjoying our cricket and a feeling just came over us that we were going to do something special and that's exactly what we did.

“Against Flatts and Cleveland, the guys stepped up, where our seniors looked youthful, and our youth demonstrated experience. That’s what we want to continue to do, have our players enjoy playing and improving.”

Still, to be a good band one needs a quality conductor, and Bridge appears to have found one in Joshua Gilbert.

Touted as a spin-bowling prodigy as a teenager, Gilbert’s ascent was meteoric. He captained Bermuda’s Under-13 squad, became the youngest Cup Match colt in 2009 at 15 and was included in the Bermuda senior squad coached by David Moore at 18.

In 2011, Gilbert was granted a scholarship to attend the prestigious Norfolk Cricket Academy in England for specialist training designed to advance his talent, but which had the opposite effect.

Efforts to alter his bowling action failed miserably, harming rather than helping, as prodigy turned to project and promise became unfulfilled.

Technique destroyed and confidence shattered; Gilbert faded from the headlines, losing form and function and casting himself into cricket’s wilderness. His focus shifted away from cricket, with the former Berkeley Institute and Bermuda College student’s concentration moving towards a career path.

In July, Gilbert earned a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Dental Hygiene from London South Bank University. He returned to active on-field duty for Bridge for the later stages of the 50-over campaign with renewed vigour and desire.

Bridge became instantly more formidable as Gilbert, now a 32-year-old, once again showed the ability that made him a must-see teenager.

Against Cleveland, Gilbert stood tall amid a middle- and late-order collapse that threatened his team’s chances of victory. His calm demeanour and gritty determination eventually prevailed, bringing unimagined success to White Hill.

After the match, no one would have guessed he had played such a pivotal role. While others celebrated and sought praise, Gilbert, the star attraction, picked up trash and tidied the players’ area, appearing nonplussed about what had just happened.

When interviewed he deflected, not emphasising his own contribution but instead thanking the institution and surrounding community for allowing him to be part of the process.

“It's such a lift for Somerset Bridge and the White Hill community, for everybody in the West End, because a lot of people support us,” said Gilbert.

“Even though we're a small club and we're not seen as a strong team, a lot of people have our back and they want to see us do well and I like seeing the youngsters perform in these sorts of finals, Henrik and PJ, young Kenzo Riley coming up and Samir Tavares.

“Seeing these guys perform in finals and getting opportunities that incentivise the youngsters within the community to come out and say, ‘Oh, I can play with my friends, get a good game, and who knows where this cricket might take me’. It’s fantastic to see.

“I've been away from the island for about three years. I just got back about six weeks ago, so I'm trying to get back into the game, back into the groove, get my fitness back because that needs to come up. After all, I'm a little older now.

“But this definitely gives me something to strive towards because I do have an interest in playing for the national team at one point again because I still am fairly young at 32.

“Coming here has actually brought so much more joy back into my cricket because for years before I came to Somerset Bridge, I wasn’t enjoying my cricket.

“At one point, I told my wife I wanted to stop cricket. But with the help of Somerset Bridge and Shane Hollis, it’s really brought back my love for the game. And I really enjoy seeing youngsters doing that. That’s really what's encouraging. Seeing youngsters perform and enjoying their cricket makes me want to play longer.”

No one is happier to have Gilbert back in the fold than coach Hollis, who understands he has another adult in the room who has scaled the heights and can lead and command respect from both young and experienced members.

“Everyone knows how important Gili is to us,” said Hollis. “He’s been out in university doing his dentistry, but we always know that when he's in the team, we’re a different animal. An animal that could beat anybody. He’s been world-class here for us.

“I've been coaching him since he was eight or nine years old, and he just brings a different energy and a different confidence to the team.

“Whenever he's in the team, we feel superhuman.”