Devonshire Recreation Club (Devonshire Rec won toss): Western Stars beat Devonshire Rec by 135 runs

Western Stars lived up to their name after producing a dominant display to comfortably retain their title in the final round of the Central Counties at Devonshire Recreation Club on Saturday.

The cup holders handed hosts and challengers Devonshire Recreation Club an emphatic 135-run defeat in a match reduced to 20 overs because of a wet pitch.

Stars were a cut above their opponents in every facet of the game and never once looked like surrendering their crown after play began at 4pm.

They probably never had it any easier, piling up 181 for four, before bowling their opponents out for just 46.

“The wicket played all right and we were able to post a good score,” Justin Robinson, the Stars captain, said. “Brian [Hall] got us off to a really good start and then Treadwell [Gibbons] and myself batted for the majority of the remaining overs.

“Bowling-wise, our bowlers hit the mark and the wicket assisted us with movement and it was a straight forward victory.”

Devonshire must have felt good about their chances of dethroning the cup holders after winning a crucial toss and sending Stars in to bat on a moist batting track.

But their plan backfired as Stars put a blunted Devonshire attack to the sword, effectively batting their opponents out of the match.

Hall and Robinson inflicted the heaviest damage with the willow en route to blistering half centuries.

Opener Hall set the tone for the innings, thumping 60 from 26 deliveries and dominating a 54-run second-wicket stand with Temiko Wilson, the wicketkeeper.

The former Stars captain went for the big shots early, blasting opening bowlers Jodie Maronie and Wilbur Burt out of the attack as he cut loose with some powerful stroke play either side of the stumps.

Hall, whose whirlwind knock contained five sixes and as many boundaries, took only 35 minutes to reach his half century which came in the eighth over off 22 balls, after lifting Levar Talbot, the Devonshire captain, for a mighty six.

He was eventually dismissed in the next over attempting another boundary, with Oldapo Fredericks holding a juggling catch in the covers off the bowling of Xion Smith.

However, Devonshire’s joy was short-lived as Robinson picked up where Hall left off, smashing an unbeaten 54 from 41 balls and adding 96 runs for the fourth wicket in 11 overs with Treadwell Gibbons Jr.

Robinson reached his half century in the nineteenth over off 38 balls in 48 minutes, after smashing former Stars player Burt over the square leg boundary for six.

Robinson and Gibbons, who scored 32 from 31 balls despite playing with a broken toe, fell just four runs shy of a century partnership after the latter was bowled hitting across the line.

Smith, the seamer, coped best against the Stars onslaught, claiming two for 26 to lead a Devonshire attack that paid the price for putting the ball in all the wrong areas.

If Stars’ ruthless batting display was a sight to behold, so too was their bowling as they got on top of the batsmen early and never let up.

Devonshire’s batsmen placed very little value on their wickets and their technique was poor at best against a disciplined Stars bowling attack that gave very little away with their line and length.

The hosts struggled to find the gaps and after falling way behind the run rate virtually threw their wickets away in a dramatic collapse.

The challengers slipped from 30 for three to 46 all out after losing their remaining wickets in the space of seven overs for the addition of 16 runs.

Seamers Dalin Richardson and Khiry Furbert led the charge with seven wickets between them.

First change Richardson claimed four for 16 and found a solid ally in Furbert who claimed three for two off four overs of which two were maidens.

Seth Campbell, the opening bowler, also held his end of the bargain with figures of two for 11 after making the initial breakthrough.

Opening batsman Fredericks was the only Devonshire batsman in double figures, the seasoned player nudging 17 from 33 balls in 43 minutes while wickets tumbled around him.