Western Stars 163 for 3

Match abandoned due to rain

The clash between Western Stars and Willow Cuts at St.John?s Road petered out yesterday with only 48 overs possible over the entire weekend.

Cuts won the toss and inserted the hosts at three o?clock in the afternoon on a wicket dampened by the ineffectiveness of the notoriously porous covers at the city club?s ground.

And although the going was far from straightforward initially for Stars? openers Albert Steede and Jermaine Posthlewaite, with the ball slowing up alarmingly off the wet and spongy surface, Cuts? bowlers simply did not put the ball into the right areas often enough to effectively exploit the favourable conditions.

Both Steede and Postlethwaite looked confident and fluent and were largely untroubled by Cuts? somewhat pedestrian opening attack, before the former fell caught and bowled, top-edging an attempted pull off the medium pace of the aggressive Trevor Corday.

Although he admits to giving his wicket away too cheaply through occasional lapses in concentration at the crease, Somerset Cup Match opener Postlethwaite was a model of discipline and restraint on Saturday, reigning in his naturally aggressive instincts with a beautifully crafted 76.

Shunning his customary penchant for the aerial route, Postlethwaite never really looked like getting out once he passed 20, and was only dismissed when he was unluckily run out backing up at the non-strikers end.

Meanwhile, left hander Treadwell Gibbons played what many involved with the club hope will be a ?break-through? innings for the youngster as he patiently built his innings of 52 not out ? his first half century for Stars.

Otherwise there were few other highlights on a miserably wet weekend, with rain bringing an end to proceedings 14 overs before the scheduled close on the first day.

St. George?s 170/9 declared

Bailey?s bay did not bat

There was little to shout about between Bailey?s Bay and St. George?s as their two-day fixture succumbed to repeated downpours on Saturday and Sunday.

So persistent and heavy were the weekend showers that play did not start until after 3 p.m. on Saturday and only St. George?s completed their first innings.

After floundering at 43 for six ? with some early breakthroughs by fast bowlers Clarkie Trott and Corey Hill ? the visitors rallied to 170 for nine declared in 50.1 overs at Sea Breeze Oval. That was late on Saturday and rain and darkness prevented Bay from starting their reply.

Yesterday was no better as the home team were confined to the pavilion while they waited for the pitch and its environs to dry. Hopes of any play were ultimately dashed in mid-afternoon when the skies opened up again.

The result left Bay with nine points ? five for a draw and four bonus points for taking eight wickets ? and St. George?s with seven; also five for a draw and two bonus points for reaching 150 runs. It was puzzling that they closed their innings five runs short of securing another bonus point which they would have been entitled to had they scored 175.

Veteran Herbie Bascome rescued St. George?s with an even 50, including eight fours. He shared a seventh-wicket stand of 47 with Travis Smith who struck 28 with four boundaries. This was followed by a partnership of 55 between Bascome and his brother-in-law Gregg Foggo for the eighth wicket. The latter pitched in with 33 (one four; three sixes).

Hill, who had an impressive opening spell, had his figures roughed up by Bascome who smashed four boundaries off his 15th and final over. The strike bowler ended with four for 53 while Trott took three for 38 off 14 overs. Dennis Pilgrim and Jermaine Outerbridge took a wicket each.

One bowler who would feel hard done by was teenager Kearon Trott who should have had Bascome?s scalp in his first over but was let down by dropped catches by his cousins, Pilgrim and Clarkie Trott, off consecutive balls.

The right-arm medium pacer first endured the agony of Pilgrim spilling a chance at point only to see Trott redefine the meaning of ?second slip? in that position on the very next ball.