Western Stars and Somerset Cup Match opening batsman Jermaine Postlethwaite had the ideal wedding gift land right in his left-hand.

The 33-year-old yesterday received this year's Cup Match Safe Hands Award for an outstanding first innings catch that led to the dismissal of St.George's' Delyone Borden at Somerset Cricket Club last week.

Fielding on the long-on boundary, Postlethwaite covered considerable ground before lunging forward at the last moment to execute a superb one-handed catch, one which has earned him two free round trip airline tickets to Atlanta, playing kit, an assortment of pre-paid Black Star Communications phone cards in addition to $500 in cash ? a perfect wedding present for the player who is set to tie the knot this weekend.

"As the ball went up in the air I decided to try and make a good run at it and get as close to it as possible," recalled Postlethwaite.

"As the play evolved and I was able to get closer to the ball I dived for it and the adrenaline pretty much helped me through and I managed to come up with it in my hand. I was somewhat surprised because there is always a degree of risk when you are diving for a catch."

Sometimes, he explained, players take the catch but as they hit the ground the ball "pops out" of their hands.

"That happens a lot of times in cricket and so to come up with the ball was certainly a challenge," he added.

Thanking the award's sponsors ? Bank of Bermuda, Aberfeldy Nurseries and Southside Office Depot ? at yesterday's awards ceremony at Aberfeldy in Paget, the veteran player implored them to become "even more" involved in local cricket.

"It would be great if they could bring that sponsorship down to the club level because at the end of the day cricket influences lives and it's always helpful to the next generation to have some incentives to strive for," he said.

Meanwhile, Black Star Communications CEO Rolf Commissiong described Postlethwaite's grab in the field as "one of the most spectacular" in Cup Match history.

"The catch has earned him (Postlethwaite) the right to join the previous six winners as a recipient of the Calvin (Bummy) Symonds Cup and the added joy for us and our sponsors is that Mr.Postlethwaite within a matter of days will also be getting married," he said.

In winning the award, Postlethwaite became the fifth Somerset player to lay claim to the Symonds Cup in the award's seven-year history.

Clay Smith remains the only St.George's player to win while Somerset skipper Janeiro Tucker is the only player to win twice.

Postlethwaite's catch beat out superb efforts in the slips by Somerset's Albert Steede and St.George's' pair Charlie Marshall and Glenn Blakeney on the first day of play.