St.David?s romped to an emphatic 166-run victory over Flatts at Sea Breeze Oval on Saturday to cement their status as the Eastern Counties? top dogs for the second straight year under the captaincy of Sammy Robinson.

The Islanders, armed with a star-studded batting order as deep as a line of hungry ?Billy Byes? in a queue for some of Dolly Pitcher?s famous conch stew, made their rivals pay heavily for spilling several early chances.

St.David?s eventually surpassed the 300 mark, and virtually batted the match beyond Flatts? reach.

The men in pink and green replied with 161 all out in 36.2 overs at 6.15 p.m. after dismissing St.David?s nearly three hours earlier.

Making victory all the more sweet for the Islanders was the fact this year saw them win every round convincingly, an impressive feat they achieved away from the revered surroundings of Lords.

The Islanders became the first team in the new millennium to win every single round outright, and the first to do so in several years.

St.David?s received solid contributions throughout the order to keep the scoreboard ticking over, and Flatts? sun-baked warriors lamenting earlier chances that were put down in the field.

Opener Chris Douglas (six) was the first to receive a lifeline when he was dropped in slips in the second over of the match off the bowling of guest player Ryan Belboda.

Number three Oronde Bascome (46) also cashed in on Flatts? generosity, as he rode his luck after being dropped twice in successive overs and then again let off the hook when Vernon Eve just failed to get underneath a ball the batsman flicked through mid-wicket.

Chris Foggo (52) was also fortunate to come away unscathed after playing several risky shots that barely eluded the slip cordon.

Foggo was one of three St.David?s batsmen to score half centuries on a pitch that saw balls take flight late from a good length, and prompted a bit of gardening from the unsettled batsmen.

The Islanders then sealed victory on the back of some disciplined bowling from the trio of Arthur Pitcher jr and Delyone Borden who shared six wickets between them, ably assisted by third change OJ Pitcher.

Flatts? day got off on a promising note when they won the toss and inserted the champions on a pitch dampened from overnight showers.

And things got even brighter for the challengers when Douglas fended a ball that kicked from a good length into the hands of Dale Benjamin ? who cupped three catches in the innings ? fielding at silly mid off in the fourth over.

Yet Flatts would be denied making further inroads as Bascome and Foggo stopped the early rot and grafted 95 runs in 22 overs for the second wicket.

Foggo reached a deserved half century off 85 balls in 90 minutes.

However, the veteran duo of Derek Wright and Lloyd Fray combined to remove the pair in the space of six balls and the addition of five runs.

Bascome?s luck finally ran out in the 26th over when he attempted to bring up his half century in style with a six over long off, only to be denied the milestone by the safe hands of Ryan Belboda at long off.

Bascome struck three fours and three sixes off 60 balls in 86 minutes.

And he would be soon joined by Foggo back in the pavilion after the batsman feathered a catch behind to Flatts? wicketkeeper Nigel Burgess.

Veteran batsman Clay Smith (28) then raced to 14 off three scoring strokes and added 38 runs in eight overs with skipper Robinson (43).

But with one over to go before lunch Smith holed out to Benjamin at long off to leave the Islanders poised at 156 for four at lunch. Smith hit four fours and two sixes.

Whatever Flatts? 45-year-old player/coach Gary Brangman ate or drank for lunch certainly had great affect as the veteran cricketer went on to collect all of the remaining St.David?s? wickets after the luncheon interval with some disciplined bowling.

Brangman struck early in the afternoon session by having Robinson caught at point seven runs shy of a half century. Robinson struck four fours off 99 balls in 104 minutes and produced 91 runs for the fifth-wicket with OJ Pitcher (59), joint high scorer for the Islanders along with the combustible Lionel Cann.

Three overs later Brangman was at it again, this time enticing OJ Pitcher to hit across the line and give an easy catch at long off and then bowling Arthur Pitcher Jr (seven) two balls later with a fuller delivery.

OJ Pitcher hit nine fours off 70 balls in 85 minutes, his half century arriving in the 58th over off 65 balls.

St.David?s lost a third wicket in the space of eight runs as Del Hollis (nought) was given out lbw to a Brangman delivery pitched well outside the off-stick.

At 268 for eight, the stage was set for Lionel Cann?s late innings fireworks display. Picking up where he left off the night before in 20/20 cricket at Somerset Cricket Club where he struck a second century in two weeks, Cann blasted 59 runs off a mere 27 balls in 38 minutes of power hitting at the crease.

The veteran cricketer virtually smashed Belboda ? who conceded 20 runs in his 14th over ? off the ball.

Cann raced to a half century in 33 minutes off 23 balls, helping himself to a delicious serving of seven sixes and three fours, after being put down in the deep on 39.

He added 39 runs in six overs with Delyone Borden (eight) before he went for one too many boundaries and was caught at long on off the bowling of Brangman.

St.David?s? tail then wagged as Borden and Loren Marshall (nought) added another 20 runs for the tenth wicket before the former batsman skied one to Kijuan Franks at long on to cap off Brangman?s best ever Eastern Counties? bowling performance.

It was also the best bowling return by a Flatts? bowler since Maxwell Lawrence?s seven for 62, achieved in 1966.

Brangman finished with outstanding figures of seven for 63 off 18.4 overs while Belboda, Fray and Wright managed to claim one wicket apiece.

In reply, Flatts were asked to score 6.9 runs per over in 47 overs.

However, the writing was well and truly on the wall by the 25th over when St.David?s had the challengers reeling at 88 for five.

An early order collapse saw Flatts slide from 20 without loss to 44 for four inside ten overs, with Arthur Pitcher Jr. and Del Hollis responsible for doing the damage.

Dale Benjamin (23) and Rahji Edness (45) desperately sought to solidify the innings, and added 40 runs for the fifth-wicket in eight overs.

However, off spinner Borden had Benjamin caught at square leg to shift the momentum back in the Islander?s favour for good.

Edness soldiered on for another five overs and added 37 runs for the sixth-wicket with skipper Wright (seven) before college kids OJ Pitcher and Borden combined to remove the two batsmen in the space of three runs.

Wright was first to go, giving an easy chance to OJ Pitcher fielding just backward of point off the bowling of Borden.

Edness then fell five runs shy of a half century when he caught a OJ Pitcher delivery on the toe of the bat and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Chris Foggo.

The Flatts stalwart hit four sixes and and three fours off 40 balls in 56 minutes.

From here wickets tumbled at regular intervals as the champions tightened their grip on the match.

Flatts were finally dismissed in the 37th over of the innings at 6.15 p.m..

Borden was the pick of the St.David?s bowling with three for 38 off 8.2 overs, while Arthur Pitcher Jr finished with three for 52 off 12 overs and OJ Pitcher two for 17 off three.

Opening bowler Loren Marshall also bowled extremely well, going wicketless for 13 runs off six overs ? four of which were maidens.

If it was any consolation for Flatts, player/coach Gary Brangman was voted match MVP afterwards during the awards ceremony.

Islander?s player/coach Del Hollis received the Stanley Smith Cup ? named in memory of the late Bailey?s Bay and St.George?s Cup Match spinner ? while Arthur Pitcher jr was chosen as man of the series after shining with both bat and ball through the summer months.

St.David?s will defend their Eastern Counties title next summer on their home turf at Lords.