St. David's 156-6 The league players-only policy adopted by St. David's produced the desired result as, against the odds, the Islanders ended Bailey's Bay's run as Eastern Counties champions on Saturday at Lord's.

The weekend-long St. David's party began the moment Del Hollis hit the winning single which confirmed them as the champions for the first time since they lost the cup to Bay on the same field in the 1993 final.

On Sunday, when their Premier League game with Police was called off because of rain, a motorcade made the short drive to Sea Breeze Oval to remind Bailey's Bay what they had lost.

"It still hasn't sunk in yet,'' said St. David's Shea Pitcher.

"I'm glad that the selectors went with the decision to pick our own players.

I had confidence in the team that has played for us all season. With the youth coming along and the experience in the team we are only going to get stronger.

"That's what the youth coming along need. It showed the club team can overcome a team as strong as Bailey's Bay even with their guest players.'' While it was a team effort for St. David's, two players certainly stuck out: Spinner Del Hollis, returning career-best figures of eight for 32, which earned him man-of-the-match award, and skipper Pitcher, who hit 68 off 10 fours in three-and-a-half hours as he took them to within 15 runs of victory.

"It was definitely the most important knock of my career, definitely the highlight of my career,'' said Pitcher. "I had never won even the junior counties or anything else with St. David's. This is what I always dreamed of.'' Hollis' bowling, which included two wickets each in his second and fifth overs, caused Bay to slump to 79-4 and 107-6. The off-spinner, who only just returned from his Scottish club, then came back with another wicket in his seventh over to have figures of five for 18 at one point.

More importantly, Bay were in deeper trouble at 116-7 which then became 127-9 before a last wicket stand of 28 between 14-year-old colt Stephen Outerbridge (21) and Dennis Pilgrim (12 not out) carried Bay past the 150 mark. Hollis ended the innings with his eighth straight wicket.

Rudell Pitcher took the first Bay wicket with his third ball in the counties when he had Roger Trott caught by Shea Pitcher close to the wicket.

Top scorer in the Bay innings was opener Dexter Basden with 41 before he was eventually seventh out while captain Charlie Marshall scored 22.

St. David's lost the early wicket of Dean Pitcher, gloving a catch to wicket-keeper Roger Trott after hooking a short delivery from Anthony Braithwaite. However, they recovered from 17-1 to 74-2 as Shea Pitcher and colt Chris Foggo added 54 for the second wicket as St. David's moved into a winning position.

After Foggo went for 14, Pitcher then put on 48 for the third wicket with Lionel Cann (29) but Bay kept fighting with three wickets in the space of 19 runs.

Veteran Allen Richardson was there at the end when victory was achieved in near darkness at 7.30 p.m., batting for 54 patient minutes for his nine runs.

"Bailey's Bay are the type of team that if you lose wickets early, they get momentum and run over you,'' said Pitcher. "The main thing was to keep wickets intact and nurse our way through.'' Richardson was pleased to help the club regain the trophy before he retires.

"It's a good feeling, the highlight of my career,'' he said. After 25 years in the Eastern Counties this was supposed to be Richardson's last year, but he isn't saying for sure. His experience may be needed when they defend the cup next year at Sea Breeze Oval.

Bay win Premier title, Page 24