Floundering at five for 12, St. David's relied upon their most trusted 'Steede' to rescue them from the depths of Eastern Counties despair but ultimately Bailey's Bay were too much of a 'Hill' to climb.

Thus unfolded another intoxicating chapter in these cricketing rivals' Counties history. As has been the case on many previous occasions, this script was rewritten time and again on Saturday afternoon at Sea Breeze Oval and nobody dared guess the ending.

The final twist in the plot came at 7.17 p.m. when umpires offered defending champions Bay bad light and they accepted gratefully, securing a draw and thereby holding on to the title with three wickets in hand and two overs outstanding.

While obviously disgruntled they were denied their final 12 deliveries to try and prise out the home team's last three scalps, St. David's had savoured their own great escape earlier in the day. Another gutsy, stroke-filled century from Albert Steede lifted them from the doldrums of 12 runs for five wickets after just seven overs to 247 all out in 57 overs.

Bay withstood their spirited challengers to finish on 145 for seven off 55 overs with cousins Clarkie and Rodney Trott seeing their club to safety.

While Steede ? ably assisted by Dean Minors and then Del Hollis ? was the hero for St. David's, the match will also be remembered for Corey Hill's lethal strike bowling that threatened to bring the battle, and St. David's quest, to a quick and deadly finish.

Having sent the opposition to the crease, Bay could not have dreamed of a better start with Hill's early rampage sending back two batsmen ? Lionel Cann and O.J. Pitcher ? in the first over without a run scored.

That was only the beginning of Hill's fireworks in an incisive first spell of 11 overs, four maidens, five wickets for 18 runs much to the delight of his team-mates, fans and family. His devastation included two double-wicket maidens in his first four overs for only four runs as he also despatched top batsmen Clay Smith and Delyone Borden along with Shannon Raynor.

His performance had everyone agog and caused dozens more spectators, who had been listening on radio and planning to attend later, to rush to the ground, fearing a premature conclusion.

Cricket, though, is a funny game and it proved to be again this time as a combination of luck and resolute batting from a middle order, anchored by opener and guest player Steede, restored St. David's innings. A sixth-wicket stand of 84 between Steede and wicket-keeper batsman Minors carried the visitors to 96 before the latter fell for 21 to Rodney Trott's spin just after lunch.

Enter Del Hollis, whose appearance at number eight further changed the game's complexion. Steede, well set by now and motoring towards three figures, stepped up his savage attack on the tiring Bay bowlers who erred in line and length to make the dazzling shot-maker's task even easier.

Hollis, in his trademark no-nonsense style, wasted no time or ball, weighing in with a healthy contribution of 58 highlighted by five cracking fours and an equal number of sixes. Meanwhile, Steede reached his century with a legside pull for six off Dennis Pilgrim in the 47th over. He faced 142 balls in 220 minutes to reach the coveted landmark.

The bountiful seventh-wicket partnership of 136 runs was broken with the score on 232 in the 56th over as Pilgrim's spectacular diving catch at backward point earned Hill ? who received some serious stick in his second spell ? his sixth wicket. Danger-man Steede was gone for 137 from 171 balls with 16 fours and five sixes.

For the third time in the innings, Hill took two wickets in one over as he also rocked back Hollis' stumps to leave St. David's on 236 for eight. They folded in the next over with Pilgrim claiming tail-enders Kameron Fox and George O'Brien Jr. to catches in the outfield.

Hill was the toast of Bay's attack with seven for 69 from 18 overs while Pilgrim bagged two for 70 from 14 overs.

Though letting St. David's slip from the noose, Bay had the luxury of knowing they did not need a victory and their mission therefore was to bat out the 57 overs allotted to them.

Things did not start well as Jermaine Warner had his stumps stunningly uprooted by O'Brien off the third ball of Bay's reply without a run on the board. A silly mix-up between the other opener Dennis Trott ? who survived an early chance when Cann put him down at third slip off O'Brien ? and Irving Romaine saw the latter run out for 28 by a direct hit from Stefan Kelly at deep mid-wicket.

That was 46 for two and it became 80 for three when skipper Jermaine Outerbridge carelessly hauled out to long off for 20. Bay looked to have stabilised a potential crisis when Charlie Marshall joined Trott but, just as they seemed comfortable, trouble struck again as left-handed Marshall (29; three fours, two sixes) squandered his wicket to a catch on the square-leg perimeter.

Four for 127 was soon five for 135 ? with Trott stumped for 39 (three fours, one six) off Fox's bowling ? and six and seven for 137 as Stephen Outerbridge and Rodrick Masters presented little resistance.

St. David's were truly in it now and, smelling more Bay's blood, seven or eight fielders hovered around the bats of the Trott cousins like vultures ready to prey at the next opportunity. Showing maturity well beyond his 16 years, Rodney, however, kept his more experienced kin company until the umpires made them an offer they dare not refuse.

O'Brien took three for 23 from eight overs and Fox, three for 24 from nine overs to lead St. David's charge.

"We're most definitely relieved. It's always a battle between us and St. David's. The guys were geared up for this and I'm glad we came out on top," declared Bay captain Outerbridge afterwards.

Lauding Hill's "exceptional" bowling, he said it gave Bay "a great start", adding that, but for some luck, St. David's could have been dismissed very cheaply.

"Dean (Minors) got an inside edge and the umpire didn't give him out but that's how it goes. I think if we had got that decision we could have gone right through them. Unfortunately, we didn't and some might say it made for a better game."

Outerbridge chided Bay's batsmen ? including himself ? for playing bad shots and putting the side under unnecessary pressure. However, he rejoiced that the champions can now sit back and reassess their performance ahead of the Counties fixture versus Cleveland on August 14.

His opposite number, Smith, lamented two incidents ? one on-field and the other off ? which he felt had a significant bearing on the outcome.

The latter was the Eastern Counties authorities' claim, just before the 11 a.m. start, that fast bowler Jacobi Robinson was ineligible to represent St. David's which left them a bowler short and having to draft batsman Shannon Raynor in at the last moment.

"That technical move at the beginning of the game made a big difference to us. After our two fast bowlers came off we didn't have that extra fast bowler (to come on) as we had planned. However, I still think we had a great chance and the guys worked tremendously hard," he said.

Smith also lamented Cann's drop catch off Dennis Trott. It was a critical miss that perhaps cost them time and the chance of getting their hands on the trophy they lost in 2002.

"That catch was very important. That was the turning point because he ended up batting another hour-and-a-half or two hours."

Meanwhile, Hill was ecstatic that, despite batting jitters, Bay staved off defeat.

"It didn't finish the way I wanted it to finish but we still got the result. It was a total team effort. You can't get seven wickets by yourself. The guys did an excellent job in the field," he said.

The 35-year-old, who has been on fire with the ball lately, attributed his success to "thinking about my game a lot more".

Asked if he fancies Bay to hold on to their title now, he replied: "Cricket is a funny game but I think if the guys play to their potential we should not have a problem retaining the trophy against Cleveland or Flatts."