MCC 216-9 Western Stars gave their illustrious MCC opponents the shock of their lives before the tourists finally prevailed by one wicket with two balls to spare at St. John's Field yesterday.

In a thrilling opening match to the their two-week tour of the Island, the MCC appeared to be cruising before their lower order collapsed within sight of a victory target of 215.

From 184-4, the tourists lost five wickets for 28 runs to leave the match balanced on a knife edge.

MCC skipper and number 11 batsman Colin Metson came in with three balls of Arnold Manders' final over remaining and three runs needed to win.

He edged his first ball just wide of wicketkeeper Jekon Edness for four and the match was over.

Outstanding all-round performances by Dwayne Leverock and Manders in particular allowed the Premier League champions to take it to the wire against their international opponents with a combined wealth of experience of first-class cricket.

Manders topscored for Stars with a sparkling 50 which included five sixes and then claimed three wickets for 40 with his off-spin bowling.

Leverock picked off ones and twos in a sensible knock of 24, before taking three for 36 in 10 overs of steady left-arm spin in a spell which brought him the prize wicket of former West Indies Test batsman Philo Wallace.

MCC opener Wallace topscored with a swashbuckling 61 and was backed up by young Australian allrounder Ben Oliver who hit a brisk 46 and Bazid Khan who made 41.

Stars skipper Albert Steede was pleased with the way his side competed and felt it should give encouragement to fellow national team players set to come up against the tourists over the next two weeks.

"Most of their players were professionals playing against amateurs and the way we played showed what hard work and dedication can do,'' said Steede.

"The national team has a better chance against the MCC because there will be more quality players. And I hope it goes down the wire like it did today in more of the games to come.

MCC made to struggle From Page 19 "I hope that people come out and watch. We could do with the support right now after some of the negative publicity the national team has had,'' he added, apparently referring to the saga which led to the resignation of coach Roland Butcher.

The MCC won the toss and put Stars into bat and quickly reduced the home side to 40-4.

Skipper Steede was out without scoring, bowled between bat and pad by one which nipped back from paceman Oliver and fellow opener Gershon Gibbons was caught behind for one off the same bowler.

Jermaine Postlethwaite (13) and Ricky Brangman (16) were both caught out with the total on 40, and Stars were struggling.

But then Saleem Mukudem and Manders came together and gave their team hope with a fifth-wicket partnership of 92.

Manders smashed three sixes in one over from off-spinner Robin Jones, while Mukudem accumulated his runs at a steadier pace. Manders was finally caught at mid-on by Ian Hampshire off the bowling of Zimbabwean Test leg-spin bowler Paul Strang.

Mukudem departed soon after, caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Strang off the bowling of Jones. Leverock and Hasan Durham then put on 30 together, before Leverock was run out going for a sharp second run on a misfield. Jones took a stinging catch off his own bowling to dismiss Durham for 21.

Oliver, who took four for 23, was the pick of the MCC bowlers.

Mukudem gave Stars the boost of an early wicket, trapping Paul Atkins lbw for a duck when MCC had just three runs on the board.

Wallace started slowly, but then stamped his authority on the match, stroking eight glorious boundaries -- four of them in one Manders over -- before being bowled by Leverock.

Edness stumped Khan off Leverock's bowling for 41 and the same combination got rid of Steve Marsh for 16, as Edness took a regulation catch behind.

Oliver hammered seven fours and a six in an aggressive innings before Leverock took a brilliant, diving slip catch to dismiss him off Manders.

Wickets then fell cheaply with Durham's throw to run out number 10 Stephen Andrew in the last over putting pressure on the tourists, but Metson's boundary saw them stutter home.