Brian Hall claimed six for 28 runs and Treadwell Gibbons scored 60 as Western Stars retained their Central Counties title with a comfortable six-wicket win against North Village in the final at St John’s Field on Saturday.

Village were dismissed for 144 in 35 overs, with Terryn Fray leading the batting with 66 after opening with his Bailey’s Bay team-mate, Pierre Smith. The two guest players put on 39 for the first wicket before Gibbons broke the stand when he removed Smith for 12 in the twelfth over.

Dion Ball added 28 runs with Fray for the second wicket before Jaiden Manders had him caught by Tre Manders. Village still looked set to reach a respectable total when Fray and Nakia Smith brought up the 100, adding 41 for the third wicket before debutant Fray departed. The Bermuda batsman faced 85 balls and hit six fours.

Smith tried to rebuild the innings but Hall came back into the attack with a vengeance, making easy work of the middle-order and tail end, claiming six of the last seven wickets as the challengers slumped from 118 for three to 144 all out. Smith, the Village wicketkeeper, was eventually ninth out on 144, scoring 40.

Stars made quick work of their run chase, scoring 145 for four in just 16 overs as Gibbons carried on where he left off last weekend with his 166 against Tuff Dogs, scoring 60 off just 39 balls.

Village did remove the other opener, Jaiden Manders, when the score was 22, but a second-wicket stand of 72 between Gibbons and Tre Manders took Stars to the brink of victory inside 12 overs when Gibbons was caught by Sherwin Jennings off Dion Ball when the score was 94 for two. Manders departed four overs later on 131 for three, his 45 coming off 38 balls.

Fray picked up a wicket in his first over when he had Dalin Richardson caught by Andrew Griffith, but by then Stars only needed six more runs for victory.