Wellington Oval (St George’s won toss): St George’s beat Bailey’s Bay by 89 runs

St George’s remain in contention to defend their Premier Division 50 Overs title with a convincing victory over Bailey’s Bay.

Top batting performances from Jonté Smith, Clay Darrell and Detroy Smith, who also shone with the ball, gave captain Sinclair Smith something to smile about.

“We did well to recover from losing Jason [Anderson] so soon,” the captain said. “Jonté batted well and was unfortunate not to score his century, but once he left, Detroy and Clay carried on to lay the foundation for a big score.”

As it relates to defending the title, Smith said: “This win today puts us in first place but we have lost a game, so it is out of our hands; however, we are going to fight until the end as true champions should do.”

Batting first on winning the toss in a match reduced to 45 overs initially backfired on the home team, as Jordan Burgess dislodged opener Jason Anderson’s stumps for two with only six runs on the board. Jonté Smith joined Nzari Paynter and the two would build the innings to put the East Enders in a comfortable position at 40 for one after the nine-over powerplay.

Smith batted aggressively, bringing up his half-century with a six off Rodney Trott as the two would put on a second-wicket partnership of 94 before the veteran off spinner trapped Paynter leg-before for nine.

Smith, who was in destructive form, would just shy of his century with the score on 129 after edging one to wicketkeeper Jarryd Richardson for a game-high 92 runs consisting of eight fours and seven sixes.

Once Smith departed, the run-rate slowed considerably, but Detroy Smith and Macai Simmons contributed with a patient 35-run, fourth-wicket partnership before the latter was caught behind off Burgess for 16.

Detroy Smith then partnered Clay Darrell for a useful fifth-wicket partnership worth 47 before Sharye Tavares pinned him leg-before for 41.

The left-handed Darrell continued to push the score with some clean strokes, and batted patiently for a well-deserved half-century before he was fooled six runs later by a Trott ball that gripped and skied high for wicketkeeper Richardson to take a running catch as the East Enders posted a useful total of 280 for eight.

Burgess and Tavares were the pick of the Bay bowlers with identical figures of two for 40, while Trott claimed two for 67.

In reply, Bay whose batting was weakened by the notable absence of Delray Rawlins, opened with captain Terryn Fray and Coolidge Durham. They put on 31 before Shaki Darrell enticed the latter to give Jahquil Hill an easy catch just off the extra-cover boundary.

Azendé Furbert joined Fray in a 42-run partnership with the Bay captain Fray the more fluent, pulling Paynter over the square-leg boundary. But the off spinner would get the last laugh two balls later when Jonté Smith took a good catch at mid-off to dismiss the Bay captain for 36 from 48 balls with the score on 73.

New batter Tavares took a liking to left-arm spinner Isaiah Greaves, pulling him three times over the legside boundary with ease.

His luck ran out when St George’s reintroduced Detroy Smith, who enticed him to fly out to Zeko Burgess on the long-on boundary for 48 after a productive third-wicket partnership worth 82.

With the score on 155, the scales were tipped slightly in St George’s favour with Bay needing 126 runs from 16.1 overs and seven wickets in hand.

Furbert would soldier on bringing up his fifty with a comfortable single through the covers but would retire hurt shortly after injuring his wrist in a fall trying to get back into his crease.

Zeko Burgess was brought back into the attack and claimed the wickets of Rodney Trott (caught) and Brandon Trott (bowled) in the same over, requiring Furbert to strap his wrist and return to the wicket.

Jordan Burgess skied to Paynter off Detroy Smith as the curtains began to close on Bay’s innings. Furbert would return to the pavilion for good shortly after, as he was trapped leg-before by Burgess for 56.

Veteran Irving Romaine entered the fray batting at No 10 but didn’t do too much damage as Bay were bowled out for 191.

Burgess and Smith were the pick of the St George’s bowlers claiming four wickets apiece for 28 and 29 runs respectively.