St.David's CC 197

Bailey's Bay 119

Champions St. David's took the traditional plunge into the Atlantic Ocean after beating arch rivals Bailey's Bay by 78 runs in a low-scoring affair at Lords on Saturday to retain the Eastern Counties Cup.

Steering the Islanders to glory were national team duo Stefan Kelly and Chris Foggo who stood out in a side who were made to sweat it our for victory.

Opening bat Foggo stroked a fluent half-century before England-based fast bowler Kelly finished off the job by snatching four wickets to undermine a youthful Bay side who folded when victory seemed theirs for the taking.

Foggo, who lived a charmed life after being put down behind and at gully, once again showed his class at the top of the order as he ruthlessly picked apart Bay's opening bowling pair of Corey Hill and Kearon Trott who wasted the new ball and were blasted out of the attack as early as the eighth over.

The right handed batsman dominated a first wicket stand of 46 with colt McLaren Lowe (15). Foggo faced 81 balls and lashed an even 50 in an innings that contained seven fours and a six.

"Chris was very confident throughout his innings and I was only sorry that he got out because he should have went on and got a century," commented victorious Islanders coach George Cannonier. "Chris did well and without his half-century I don't know what we would have done."

Also contributing with the bat were Islanders' skipper Lionel Cann (26), all-rounder Arthur Pitcher jr (24) and early order bats Landro Minors (16) and OJ Pitcher (15).

Defending what seemed a shallow total on a spacious Lords outfield, pacer Kelly proved equal to the task, claiming four for 41 to completely shatter Bay's hopes. And he was ably supported by off spinners Del Hollis and Delyone Borden who took two for 21 and two for 44 respectively.

"Stefan did exceptionally well and I'm very happy for him," Cannonier added. "We in St.David's watched Stefan grow up and we believe in him because he's a son of the soil and that's the reason why we honour him as we do."

After being sent in to bat, the Islanders found themselves flutterring at 117 for five. But solid knocks from all-rounders Cann, Arthur Pitcher jr and Borden lower down the order propelled the champions to an eventual total that ultimately proved beyond Bay's reach.

St. David's early order batsmen enjoyed easy pickings against the challengers' new ball pair but once Bay skipper Rodney Trott introduced himself and Irving Romaine into the attack, the tide eventually turned in his team's favour.

Bowling consistently down the right line and varying their length, the two off spinners tied the Islanders' batsmen in knots and forced them to throw away their prized wickets, lashing out in frustration.

Skipper Trott was the pick of the Bay bowling as he picked up four for 58 off 25.2 overs that included eight maidens while part-time seamer Stephen Outerbridge returned three for 51 off 14 overs with two maidens.

Romaine was the most economical as he recorded man-of-the-match figures of two for 29 off 25 overs with a remarkable 11 maidens before the Islanders' innings came to a close in the 70th over.

Having restricted a powerful St.David's' line-up to under 200 runs Bay were left with 48 overs to reply at an asking run rate of just over four per over. But like their opposite numbers before them, Bay's batsmen also lacked the necessary application and discipline required at the crease.

And instead of marching the cup back to Sea Breeze Oval, they were left to ponder what might have been had they curbed their aggressive instincts and played each delivery on its merit rather than try to force the issue.

The loss of skipper Trott, who suffered severe leg cramps and dehydration and had to be taken to hospital, didn't help Bay's cause either. Trott never returned to take guard at the crease, leaving his team-mates to fend for themselves in his absence.

Apart from the dismissals of opener Dennis Trott (27) and stylish left-hander Glenn Blakeney (6), the remaining Bay batsmen virtually threw away their wickets just when it seemed as though St. David's were running out of ideas.

Things looked all so promising for the challengers in the early stages of their innings with openers Cal Dill (10) and Dennis Trott encountering no real threat from the new-ball pair of Kelly and Arthur Pitcher jr. But after helping himself to two boundaries Dill went for another mighty swipe and was held at short leg hitting across the line.

A 30-run partnership between Trott and colt Brendon Trott (12) momentarily put Bay back on track. But a sensational grab by Borden, fielding backward of square, brought Trott's innings to a screeching halt and triggered a slide that saw the Bay lose four wickets in the space of 22 runs as the pendulum swung in St.David's' favour.

Colt Brendon Trott was stumped behind by wicketkeeper Fiqre Crockwell charging off-spinner Borden, Blakeney was run out after being called for a single that was never on and Tywan Burgess (two), one of two colts in Bay's team, was bowled by off spinner Hollis playing down the wrong line.

At 68 for five, Bay's chances were now bleak with most of their recognised bats back in the hutch. Middle order bats Romaine (26) and Outerbridge (27), who was spilled at first slip early in his innings, added 46 runs for the sixth-wicket to give the challengers a glimmer ray of hope. But a sudden rush of blood to the head of national team skipper Romaine resulted in the batsman being caught on the third man boundary chasing a harmless wide delivery from Kelly.

Romaine's dismissal virtually signalled the end for Bay as their remaining three wickets tumbled for the addition of five runs with pacer Kelly inflicting the heaviest damage with the ball, charging in from the northern end. Kelly gave very little away during his second spell to make amends after earlier taking punishment from opener Dennis Trott who smashed three fours off the bowler's fourth over.

"It was a good effort, but we lost unnecessary wickets," reflected Bay all-rounder Romaine afterwards. "It was unfortunate but it was a good game of cricket."

That Bay were skittled out in only 34.3 overs also owed much to the disciplined bowling from spinners Borden and Hollis who kept the pressure on once Kelly had made the initial breakthrough on a green top that surprisingly aided the slow bowlers.

Islanders' wicketkeeper Crockwell was also outstanding as he held three catches and executed a brilliant stumping to remove colt Trott behind the stumps.

St. David's will now defend their crown against Flatts in the second round at Lords on August 16.