Wellington Oval: (Cleveland won toss): Bailey’s Bay beat Cleveland by six wickets

Needing 19 runs from the last two overs, veterans Stephen Outerbridge and Kyle Hodsoll guided Bailey’s Bay to victory with one ball to spare against Cleveland in this Athene T20 League Premier Division match at Wellington Oval today.

Electing to bat, Cleveland took advantage of a weakened Bay bowling attack with Macquille Walker and Jordan Burgess notably absent.

Captain Mackih McGowan dominated the bowling with a fiery 33 ball 49 which included four fours and four sixes before being dismissed one run short of his half-century trying to hit spinner Sharye Tavares to the boundary but instead skied the ball high to give stand-in wicketkeeper and captain Terryn Fray an easy catch.

He had given Cleveland a promising start but once he was back in the pavilion, the run rate slowed. Dennis Musson Jr, realising that he was the last recognised bat, started to farm the strike and batted maturely in his unbeaten innings of 42 runs to bring Cleveland’s innings to a close at 140-6.

Zakao Hart had the best bowling figures for Bay claiming three wickets for 20 runs.

Bay’s initial response to the chase was a bit below the required run rate but not concerning as Fray and Coolidge Durham started to buckle the bowling down.

Durham was needlessly run out after Fray survived a dropped catch and ran but the former was caught ball watching and ran only after the ball dropped for Dennis Musson who collected, took aim and hit the stumps down from distance.

Veteran Stephen Outerbridge joined his captain and the two would milk the bowling with some classic strokes to lead the chase putting on 50 runs for the fourth-wicket partnership before the Fray was bowled by McGowan for a patient 40 from 44 balls.

Hodsoll joined Outerbridge needing 47 runs for victory with only 4.4 overs remaining. The latter was given a life when he was dropped on the square leg boundary on 36 with the score 109.

Hodsoll was contributing heavily as the two inched closer towards Cleveland’s total.

Needing three runs from the last two balls, Hodsoll, who was placed in a similar role a few weeks ago, came good again, as he smashed McGowan for a six, before limping off the field in excruciating but joyful pain.

Outerbridge was unbeaten on 42 and Hodsoll unbeaten with a quickfire 30 from 16 balls.

McGowan, Raemar O’Brien and Q’Shai Darrell claimed one wicket apiece.

Bay captain Fray, took the win in stride.

“We knew that we were under strength today so we asked everyone to step up,” he said. “I think we gave them 20 runs too many but not taking anything away from Cleveland they did bat well.

“I wasn’t too concerned as the overs were running out because I knew one good over would change the game especially with Outerbridge and Hodsoll at the wicket.”

Cleveland

Q Darrell lbw S Tavares 5

*M McGowan c Fray b Tavares 49

M Young b D Thomas 15

D Rabaine c Steede b Hart 3

D Musson not out 42

G Berlow c Fray b Hart 0

†B Daniels b Hart 2

K Trott not out 5

Extras (b 5, lb 4, w9, nb 1) 19

Total (6 wkts; 20 overs) 140

Q Simmons, R O’Brien and T Robinson did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-45, 3-84, 4-84, 5-91, 6-106,

Bowling: K Hodsoll 4-0-27-0, S Tavares 4/0-17-2, D Thomas 4-0-30-1, C Durham 3-0-24-0, K Trott 1-0-13-0, Z Hart 4-0-20-3

Bailey’s Bay

*†T Fray b McGowan 40

S Tavares c D Musson b O’Brien 8

C Durham run out 7

B Trott b Q Darrell 2

S Outerbridge not out 42

K Hodsoll not out 30

Extras (w 10, b 6) 16

Total (4 wkts; 19.5 overs) 145

D Swan-DeSilva, M Steele, Z Hart, D Thomas, K Trott did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-36, 3-39, 4-94,

Bowling: T Robinson 3-0-16-0, R O’Brien 1-0-10-1, M Young 4-0-41-0, Q Darrell 4-0-24-1, D Musson 4-0-26-0,

Umpires: M Best and D Smith

Match Official: J Pitcher

ATHENE T20 PREMIER DIVISION

PW L T NR Pts NRR

St George’s 7 7 0 0 0 70 3.889

Bailey’s Bay7 6 1 0 0 60 0.934

W Stars 8 4 4 0 0 40 0.808

Somerset 844 0 0 40 -0.637

South’ton 8 350 0 30 -0.747

Warwick 826 0 0 20 -1.541

Cleveland 8 1 7 0 0 10 -1.662