Lionel Cann?s pre-match promise of ?not sitting on bats? was honoured with St. George?s claiming victory and the skipper only too happy to talk up his team?s strengths and positive approach to the match.

?I said last week we were coming to attack and that?s exactly what we did,? said Cann, who also used his post-match speech at Somerset to hammer home the emancipation message and warn black youths away from violence.

?As a team we spoke about attacking, attacking with the bat, with the bowling and in the field. And to the credit of our team they came good and they bought into the captain?s plan and that is how we played. We did what we said we would and I am so proud of all of them.?

Cann singled out veteran Charlie Marshall for praise, thanking him for his massive 88 in the game-changing fifth-wicket first innings stand with OJ Pitcher and put the cat among the national team pigeons with a big statement of support for the player, axed from the squad last year.

?I want to thank Charlie Marshall for saving St. George?s; I don?t pick the national team, but if I did I?d have him in it,? said Cann.

Marshall also received praise from another veteran, Clay Smith, the national team skipper who made a telling return to the big stage following months out with his knee injury.

?We never doubted we could win this,? said Smith when asked if he was worried when the holders were 59 for four and looking in trouble on day one.

?We have seven or eight players who go out there capable of making centuries. It was great to see Charlie and OJ put together that partnership. That swung the game for us and laid the platform for us to go on and win the match.

?It shows the depth we have in this team. Everyone should be proud of their performances.?

On a personal level, Smith, who scored 35 in the short second innings, was pleased to be back in the thick of things.

?It felt great to be out there,? said Smith, who has missed months of international cricket following knee surgery in the off-season.

?I have worked really hard in recent weeks and this was a big test for me ahead of playing in the international arena. I knew I was going to be ready for this, I had a good run-out in the county cup and that set me up for this.

?There?s nothing like Cup Match and it feels great to be on the winning team and to be out there playing again. Congratulations to all my team-mates, we have some great young players coming through and the older guys did what they had to as well. It?s been a good day for St. George?s.?

Club president Neal Paynter was delirious with excitement when taking the microphone post-match, stirring up the crowd with his impassioned speech.

?I love the St. George?s players and they love me and I love everyone who supports St. George?s,? he shouted. ?My club has the form right now. This race is not for the swift, it is for those who can endure.?

The most emotion on the microphone was shown by Cann, keen to address the social problems that have plagued the Island in recent weeks which appeared to have subsided for Cup Match week.

?I want to challenge the young black males to reject all the violence, all the negativity,? he said, referring to the emancipation holiday.

?Don?t be sitting on walls, get a job, look after your family, do something with yourself and don?t just make excuses.

?I am standing here because of dedication and commitment and following a dream ? I want to send this message out to the young black male.?