BCBC President's XI 169-7 Vice captain Arnold Manders smashed sixes off the first and last deliveries of the final over to give the President's XI a dramatic three wicket victory over the Leeward Islands on Saturday at Wellington Oval.

Set 15 for victory in the last over against spinner Earl Waldron, Manders lifted the off-break bowler for a six on the first delivery. He then took a single off the next ball to give Anthony Braithwaite the strike, and when Braithwaite failed to make contact on the third delivery groans could be heard around the ground.

The local pair were then left needing eight off the final three deliveries.

Two runs from the fourth ball kept Braithwaite on strike and with two deliveries remaining much depended on Manders regaining strike for the last ball.

A single would have left him needing to hit a six off the last ball, while a boundary four would have kept Braithwaite on strike with another four then needed off the last ball.

But it worked out perfectly as Braithwaite got an edge and the ball went close enough to the third man boundary to allow the batsmen to cross for three.

And while a four would have been sufficient for victory on the last ball, Manders ended it in dramatic style, lifting Waldron for six over mid-wicket as his team-mates and fans raced onto the field in celebration.

After crumbling to 32-2, Bermuda were brought back into the match with a third wicket stand of 80 between captain Albert Steede and Charlie Marshall.

After turning down an offer for bad light after 29 overs, Marshall was bowled by Waldron for 39, ending the 85-minute stand with his captain.

That signalled a collapse as wickets fell in the next two overs -- Steede for 47 after 107 minutes at the crease, and Roger Trott for one -- to make it 115-5 with six overs remaining.

Dean Minors and Janeiro Tucker put on 23 for the sixth wicket to take the score to 138 before Tucker departed in the 36th over, still 28 runs from victory.

Going into the last two overs 21 runs were still needed, but Minors was run out in that penultimate over off the first of two shoulder high bouncers by Troy Mills to Manders. To Manders' annoyance umpire Lester Harnett failed to call no-balls and only six came from the over.

Manders finished with 18 not out including two sixes and a four while Braithwaite scored a vital six not out as the match was won in bad light.

The Leewards pacemen bowled with more venom than in Thursday's match as Mills finished with three for 42 from nine overs and Waldron claimed three for 51 from nine. Lesroy Irish, sharing the new ball with Mills, gave up just 22 in seven overs as Bermuda were required to score at a rate of 4.36 for victory.

The Leewards' hopes for a big total were dashed when they lost seven overs from their innings because of a 46-minute rain stoppage after 31 overs when they were 112-3. The match had been reduced to 45 overs because of a late start.

Carl Tuckett was the high man for the Leewards, who won the toss, with 49 in 92 minutes off 81 balls. Stuart Williams and Merlin Liburd, who had a century opening stand against Somerset on Thursday, put on 45 in 38 minutes before Williams went for 20.

Liburd was next out at 64-2 after batting 61 minutes for his 25.

ARNOLD MANDERS -- The all-rounder played a big part in Bermuda's wins on the weekend, scoring the winning runs on Saturday and then bowling 10 tight overs for 26 runs yesterday.