If at first you don't succeed...

Just a year after being comprehensively beaten by Western Stars in the Camel Cup final, Bailey's Bay were back at St. David's trying to win the Camel Cup.

This time they succeeded where other Bailey's Bay teams have failed, thanks mainly to a solid unbeaten 67 by Bermuda batsman Charlie Marshall at a time when they needed a cool head.

Defending champions Stars chipped away at the solid foundation laid by Bay openers Chris Smith, the captain, and Devrae Hollis as they went from 73 without loss to 94 for three in 10 overs as Stars swung the match briefly back in the balance.

However, an important stand of 57 between Marshall and Glenn Smith (27) steered Bay back on the right course, as Stars were made to pay for dropped catches which began early in the Bay innings when Treadwell Gibbons put down a skied chance off Hollis when he was on 10.

Then Smith, when on 21, got a second chance when Jeff Richardson spilled a firmly hit shot at wide mid-off.

"I wasn't satisfied with our performance,'' admitted Stars captain Arnold Manders, whose disciplined knock of 71 in 185 minutes from four fours and three sixes made it possible for his team to pass the 200 mark.

"We've definitely dropped too many catches this year and this is the first time it has cost us. If we held our chances we probably would have won the match. Charlie played a superb role.

"I think the better team won on the day. We had three run outs and they took the catches. We dropped three crucial catches and in the end it cost us.'' The match was evenly balanced throughout, as Stars recovered from 20 for two, when Gibbons and Andre Manders were dismissed on successive deliveries from Terry Burgess in his third over.

The captain and opener Gregory Sampson added 76 vital runs for the third wicket. And after Sampson departed for 41, which came off 96 balls, Manders shared in another important stand, this one with Richardson for the fourth wicket which realised 49 runs.

Richardson hit a dashing 27 before, like Sampson, he was run out in what proved a key breakthrough for Bay. Few of Manders' partners stayed long after that.

Ironically the other main contributor, Gary Brangman, with 21, was also run out as Manders held the innings together before being ninth out in the second last over.

Glenn Smith took two late wickets off successive balls in his one over but the best bowling of the day was done by Terry Burgess who bowled his 10 overs unchanged and came out with impressive figures of two for 20 with two maidens.

New ball partner Anthony Braithwaite had an off day, giving up 52 runs in his 10 overs and bowling 13 of the 19 wides.

Stars had to wait until the 19th over to get a breakthrough, by which time Bay were well on course for victory. The first to fall was Hollis for 38, trapped lbw by a full toss from leg-spinner Wayne Richardson.

Ricky Hill's stay was brief before he was bowled behind his legs by Manders who brought himself on in the 12th over. After that Marshall stood between Stars and a Camel Cup repeat as he played with the maturity of a seasoned batsman, hitting eight fours and a six off 84 balls as Bay reached their target with six ball remaining of their 49 overs.

"My role in the team now is just to score runs,'' said Marshall afterwards as his team-mates drank from the crystal cup for the first time. Marshall knows all about winning this cup, however, having done so twice with St. George's.

Bay have been trying since 1987 when the competition began as the Premier Cup, losing in the first two finals.

"I knew we had some guys who can bat and be positive,'' said Marshall. "Not once did I panic while we were losing wickets. My goal was to stay out there.'' Captain Chris Smith was also confident in Marshall's ability. "I never thought we would lose,'' he said.

"I always had hope. Ray (Devrae) and I gave us a good start and leaving Charlie at the wicket, I knew he could play the role.

"The turning point was when they dropped the early catches. I knew they couldn't win, we had them under pressure. It feels good, it was certainly a team effort. We finally got it together.'' Top bowlers for Stars were spinners Manders and Richardson who claimed one for 24 and two for 26 respectively from 10 overs. Gary Brangman took two for 54 in 9.5 overs.

CLEANING UP -- Bailey's Bay bowler Glenn Smith, left, celebrates taking two wickets in two balls with wicket-keeper Cal Dill and Clarkie Darrell, right, during yesterday's Camel Cup final at St. David's. Bay had more to celebrate later with their first Cup triumph.