Cleveland 121

Western Stars 122-4

Western Stars pulled off another vital victory yesterday in their chase for back-to-back Premier League success, whipping Cleveland by six wickets.

Stars not only kept up their championship bid but - in easily overhauling Cleveland's inadequate score of 121 runs at St. John's Field - earned some highly-satisfactory revenge over opponents who beat them in the league's first round.

The title-holders reached their target in 24.4 overs, scoring 122 for four after routing Cleveland in 41.2 overs.

The winners were guided home by contributions of 48, 24 and 26 not out from Jermaine Postlethwaite, Gershon Gibbons and Ian Armstrong respectively. Postlethwaite struck eight fours while Armstrong enjoyed three fours and a towering six.

None of Cleveland's bowlers really threatened Stars who had solid partnerships throughout their run quest.

They reached 100 for the loss of just captain Albert Steede and Postlethwaite and, despite the minor hiccup of two more batsmen falling with the score on 108 and 109, the outcome was never in doubt. Four Cleveland bowlers took one wicket apiece.

Earlier, Saleem Mukuddem had given Stars the edge, snapping up three quick wickets to have Cleveland reeling at nine for four at the start of their innings.

Mukuddem sent back opener Andre Hendrickson and dangerous middle-order batsmen Curtis Jackson and Peter Philpott - all for ducks. His bowling partner, Kevin Hurdle, shattered the stumps of the other opener - Cleveland skipper Carlton Smith - for four.

A gritty 54 (four fours, three sixes) by Anthony Bascome, coming at number eight, pushed Cleveland past three figures but he got no serious support as Jason Simons and Johnny Richardson were the next top batsmen, with 19 runs each. Extras added a valuable 18.

Mukuddem returned the sparkling figures of four for 27 from 9.2 overs, with two maidens.

Dwayne Leverock and Justin Robinson took two for 15 and two for 51 off their respective ten overs. Hurdle and Hasan Durham got one wicket each.

Somerset CC 150

St. David's 154-6

With his batsmen failing all around him and St. David's teetering at 54 for the loss of five wickets, player-coach Clay Smith spearheaded the east enders to victory over Somerset by scoring an unbeaten 44, joining Chris Foggo (38) in a sixth-wicket stand that put on 96 runs.

Smith has played many finer innings in his long career, but few were as important as this one which called on him to work wonders with the bat in order to keep his team in contention for the Premier Division title after Somerset had posted a very reachable target of 150.

Two victories on the weekend now have St. David's holding down second place in the table.

With his top four batsman failing to reach double figures, Smith found a willing and capable partner in Foggo. The two offered stubborn resistance to a bowling attack inspired by success of the early wickets, including the prized ones of Glenn Blakeney (five), Delyone Borden (eight), O.J.Pitcher (eight) and Sammy Robinson (six).

The dominant partner in the stand, Smith finished with eight fours and remained there at the end, taking the team to victory after Pitcher was dismissed with the side five runs short of their winning target.

Jacobi Robinson was the leading wicket taker for Somerset with four wickets for 35 runs off ten overs, including a maiden.

Earlier, Mackie Crane's best spell of the season made the west enders struggle before reaching their modest total with the medium pacer snatching five wickets for 21 runs off 6.2 overs.

Also among the wickets for St. David's was young Stefan Kelly with two for 27 off four overs.

Somerset had a good start with openers Tony Cheeseman and Sheridan Ming putting up 55, the former topping the batting with 23 while the latter hit 16.

Also among the runs was skipper Devon Wade with 20 and Shaun Roberts with a patient 18.