Western Stars 260-9 Willow Cuts 157

Willow Cuts let Western Stars off the hook yesterday at Somerset Cricket Club.

After having defending league champions Stars up against the ropes at 138 for six, Cuts could only watch in total disbelief as their hopes for an upset dissipated before their very eyes.

Stars owed much to opening batsman Jermaine Postlethwaite for the about-turn in fortunes. He stroked a solid 55 and, along with all-rounder Saleem Mukuddem who produced an unbeaten 73, revived his team's innings.

Skipper Albert Steede (24) and Hasan Durham (38) also offered useful knocks that enabled Stars to recover and post a score of 269 for nine wickets from their allotted 50 overs.

Cuts skipper Richard Basden led his team's bowling with four for 33 from ten overs while Terrance Corday grabbed two wickets - though at a costly 72 runs.

T.Parsons and veteran Kevin Fubler, meanwhile, each managed to grab a wicket apiece - but by then the damage had already been done.

In reply, Cuts got off to a fairly decent start with Dwight Basden (31) and T.Tankard (six) putting on 46 for the opening partnership.

Basden was the joined by cousin Dexter Basden and this pair added 55 runs for the second wicket before Dexter was finally out, clean bowled by Arnold Manders. That loss sparked a severe Cuts' batting collapse as the next four batsmen went for the addition of 60 runs; with Manders doing most of the damage.

The veteran spinner claimed four for 17 and was ably assisted by Justin Robinson who wrapped up the remaining Cuts bats en route to claiming an equally impressive four for 23 that went a long way toward reducing the home to 157 all out - some 103 runs short of the required target.

Kevin Hurdle capped of a fine return to Stars' line-up by grabbing one for 17 from seven overs of fast bowling while the ever reliable Durham had one for 47 off eight overs.