St David’s Oval (Western Stars won toss): Western Stars beat St David’s by five wickets

Western Stars Brian Hall was at his destructive best with ball and bat, claiming a five-wicket haul and top scoring with 64 not out to condemn winless champions St David’s to a third successive defeat.

Having been put into bat, McLaren Lowe (6) and Shannon Rayner (36) got St David’s off to a good start with a 29-run opening partnership before the former became Hall’s first victim.

Elder statesman OJ Pitcher then joined Rayner, taking the score to 49 runs before the latter was caught of the bowling of Rohan Davis for 36.

Bermuda international Derrick Brangman and Pitcher steadied the innings with some carefully placed shots and continuous rotation of the strike to put on a healthy 47-run partnership before Brangman mistimed a Hall off break to play on to his stumps for 28 runs with the score on 96.

Crockwell took longer to walk to the crease then he did at bat as he was bowled first ball. After some strategic field placing, Ricardo Brangman would make it three in three to complete the hat-trick when he edged the leg break to first slip, setting off wild celebrations among the Stars players.

Captain Justin Pitcher then joined his cousin OJ and the two combined for a team-high 48-run partnership before the latter drove one right into the hands of Antoine Anderson, who was fielding at mid-wicket for a patient 30 off 89 balls.

Justin Pitcher then lost his wicket a few overs later when he was caught off the bowling of Seth Campbell in his seventh over. Tailender Aaron Paynter offered some resistance with some elegant shots to carry the score to 218 as he finished unbeaten on 37 runs from 27 balls.

Stars used seven bowlers with Hall the standout with his fiver, giving up just 28 runs in the process.

Set a target of 218 runs in 50 overs at 4.36 runs an over, openers Khiry Furbert and Anderson were held at bay by youngsters Isaiah O’Brien and Paynter, who bowled the ten-over powerplay unchanged with a discipline beyond their age to restrict Stars to 35 runs for the loss of two wickets.

Furbert and Jaiden Manders settled the innings and put on a valuable 33-run, third-wicket partnership before OJ Pitcher had the former bowled for 22 with the score on 63.

Tre Manders then joined his cousin, Jaiden, and the two started to milk the bowling before the latter mistimed a pull shot and was brilliantly caught by a diving Paynter at short third man for 34 runs.

Makai Young joined his captain for a short stint before he was run out by Paynter for 15 to send in the demolition man Hall with the score 129 for five.

Hall and captain Manders started to dominate the bowling with some aggressive but careful shots to muster a game-high, unbeaten 90-run partnership as Hall finished with 64 runs from 47 balls and three massive sixes off Paynter, OJ Pitcher and O’Brien.

He was ably assisted by Manders with a patient 51 not out from 67 balls to lead Stars to victory.

Paynter was the pick of the St David’s bowlers with two wickets from his ten overs giving up 57 runs.

“I was bowling off breaks and I noticed that the ball was staying a bit low,” said standout player Hall.

“I also felt good and focused with the bat. I learnt a lot from my previous innings and knew I had to be a bit more patient and tried not to give any chances. Once my sight was in, that was it.’