St. George's surrendered their Knockout Cup title in controversial fashion at Royal Naval field yesterday with home team Willow Cuts winning on the final ball -- or was it? An error by umpire McDonald Swan resulted in final pair Eugene Foggo and Uroy Fox thinking that there was only one ball left and two runs needed.

But after Fox was run out at the bowler's end upon scoring a single, both scorebooks showed that the St. George's batsmen were inadvertently misled.

The error clearly came from Swan miscounting after square leg umpire George Francis signalled a no-ball on Williams' third delivery because too many fielders were outside the circle.

St. George's captain Graham Fox said he plans to file a protest early this week.

The ending left a sour taste to what had been a hard-fought affair where bat dominated ball.

Richard Basden made the most of an early life to top-score for Cuts with 94. A routine catch behind was put down off Graham Fox's bowling when Basden was on 14 and St. George's would be made to pay dearly.

Given the reprieve, Basden showed St. George's the full array of his strokeplay and seemed certain for a century before Lewis Foggo held a fine diving catch at deep extra cover.

Basden and skipper Dexter Basden rescued Cuts from the uncertainty of 45 for three with young opener Dwayne Basden off the field receiving treatment.

He was hit just under the right eye by a Kenny Phillip lifter.

Dwight Basden earlier made an aggressive 31 before he was caught while Jermaine Warner (four) and Davon Wade (two) were both victims of Phillip's.

Like brother Richard, Dexter also gave a chance early in his innings -- a straight drive off Clevie Wade going through Ryan Steede's hands for six.

But, on 110, he lost his off stump to Wade for a personal total of 31.

Richard Basden and Rodney Fubler added 78 for the fifth wicket with Fubler making a useful 27.

The rest of the innings belonged to Basden, who struck three sixes and eight fours.

Eugene Foggo claimed three for 44 and Phillip three for 46 to lead the St.

George's bowling.

In chase of the large total, St. George's started positively with Dexter Smith continuing his fine start to the season.

He and Steede raced to 65 by the 15th over when Richard Basden took a diving catch at point to remove Steede for 11.

Smith was dominating the bowling from the outset and brought his half-century up in even time with a towering six off Richard Basden.

But on the next ball he was given lbw despite a plea that he had played the ball. Smith hit five sixes and four fours in his 52.

From 75 for two, Graham Fox and Ricky Hodsoll (25) put on 53 for the next wicket before the latter was smartly caught and bowled by Trevor Dickinson.

Clevie Wade was next and he and the skipper looked a safe bet to carry the champions to victory.

But the pair were out within 22 runs of each other to similar shots -- pulls that were hit too high in the blade.

Jermaine Warner held the catch to dismiss Wade (19) at 185 for five, then Dwayne Basden got under Fox's abortive attempt at 207 for six.

Fox struck 51, which included two sixes and a four.

St. George's surprisingly still had more to offer as Phillip struck a quick 14 and Jason Anderson 11.

At 227 for eight with five overs left, Eugene Foggo and David Adams were given a fair chance.

Twenty-six runs later, the pair threatened to be heroes with Cuts in disarray.

But Dwight Basden, who had already conceded two boundaries, turned the match by backing up Adams in the penultimate over.

St. George's needed four runs to win from the final over, a tie being beneficial if they did not lose all their wickets.

The no-ball provided the first and Foggo scampered through for the second on the next ball before the notorious ending.

Flatts 215-8 Social Club 216-7 Millard Bean scored 93 and captain Troy Dean 51 in a second wicket stand worth 168 runs -- but Social Club battled back against the odds to win by three wickets at Devonshire Rec. field.

Social Club did well to keep Flatts to 215 in 49 overs, as six wickets went down for 14 runs, and it gave them something to aim for after a fourth-wicket stand of 73 between Webster Mills and captain Dwayne Adams kept them on course for their first win of the season.

Like Flatts, Social Club lost their first wicket on six, before advancing steadily to 144 for four when opener Mills departed for a reliable 65. And though Jermaine Tucker (formerly Exell) went three runs later, Social Club moved strongly past the 200 mark with their skipper playing a key role in a 62-run partnership with Thomas Brangman for the sixth wicket.

Adams was bowled by Brendon Woolridge for 62 with seven runs needed and, a run later, Brangman departed for 24.

However, Vance Gilbert made sure of victory.

Woolridge led the Flatts bowling with three for 33 while Floyd Smith claimed two for 36 and Dean two for 52, all off 10 overs.

NOT OUT -- Dwight Basden dives to take a one-hand catch but the ball came off the pad of St. George's opener Ryan Steede in yesterday's big match.

RICHARD BASDEN -- Looking solid in his knock of 94.