St David’s captain Derrick Brangman celebrates a win against St George’s on Saturday (Photograph by Ras Mykkal)
Tre Manders ensured that a new-look St David’s side finished the T20 Premier Division league season with a perfect record yesterday.
Manders, a stalwart of the national team, gave notice to the new Bermuda Cricket Board selectors that he is in fine form with just a month to go before the ICC T20 World Cup Americas Qualifiers in the US, by stroking 85 as St David’s beat Bailey’s Bay by three wickets at Sea Breeze Oval yesterday.
Victory gave St David’s a maximum 50 points after Bay joined St George’s, Cleveland County and Devonshire Rec in being soundly beaten by a team fielding an almost unrecognisable team from last season after a winter of top-level recruitment.
Manders signed for the club alongside Onias Bascome, Naquan Smith, Kevon Fubler and Brandon Swainson and their introduction has proved seamless with five straight victories to start the season.
Topping the Premier Division gives St David’s the advantage heading into the T20 Knockout Cup semi-finals next weekend.
Fourth-placed Bay, who have struggled to find their rhythm in the early part of the season, will provide a quick rematch next Sunday after finishing the league with just two victories.
The second semi-final will feature runners-up Somerset taking on St George’s.
After losing their opening game of the season, Somerset completed two winning weekends in a row by beating Cleveland County easily by seven wickets to finish the season on 40 points.
St George’s leapfrogged Bay into third after Zeko Burgess smashed 64 not out, off just 22 balls, as his side beat Devonshire Rec by four wickets at Wellington Oval yesterday.
St David’s are not the only unbeaten cricket team domestically this season, as Southampton Rangers can claim the same honour after running away with the T20 First Division.
Rangers, under new coach Herbie Bascome, won all six of their matches, rounding off the regular season with a 52-run victory over Warwick Workmen’s on Saturday.
The returning Dion Stovell and former Cup Match captain Jordan DeSilva have been key to their resurgence and they will head into their First Division T20 Knockout Cup semi-final against Warwick with confidence.
The other semi-final will be between league runners-up Western Stars and PHC.
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Tre Manders blasts unbeaten St David’s to Premier Division T20 title
Created: May 19, 2025 08:13 AM (Updated: May 19, 2025 08:51 AM)
Stellar performance: Tre Manders, playing here for Bermuda, scored 85 runs for St David’s (File photograph by Cleon Scotland/Airhorn Media)
Sea Breeze Oval (St David’s won toss): St David’s beat Bailey’s Bay by three wickets
St David’s held off a strong challenge by Bailey’s Bay yesterday, thanks to the batting heroics of Tre Manders, to complete a perfect season as Premier Division T20 champions.
Manders, who joined from Western Stars in the off-season, scored a game-high 85 from 55 balls, which included five fours and seven sixes, and took St David’s to the brink of victory before he was run out after a mix-up with Ricardo Brangman.
The latter then hung around to see the game through with his supporting knock of 22 before team-mates and fans broke into jubilation, led by captain Derrick Brangman.
“Today was a great game,” said elated captain Brangman.
“The atmosphere was amazing. This was the best game that we had all season. We knew that Bay were going to bring it so we came prepared for the challenge.
“When they put up 150, I wasn’t worried because we have batsmen. Hats off to Tre as he batted well and laid the foundation for the win. Overall, we trained hard all season, so this is well deserved.”
St David’s won the toss and sent the home team in to bat. Openers Terryn Fray and Coolidge Durham gave Bay a good start as they put on a 51-run opening partnership, scoring 19 runs in the fourth over bowled by Isaiah O’Brien before Fray was caught by Sa-Qui Robinson on the long-on boundary off the bowling of Naquan Smith for 25.
Bay welcomed the return from injury of Delray Rawlins, who came in at first wicket down but did not have any impact as he needlessly ran himself out trying to take a cheeky single after contributing only one run.
Sharye Tavares joined the in-form Durham and the two would dominate the bowling to carry the score to 83 for two at the halfway stage. They put on a 47-run third-wicket partnership before Tavares was stumped comprehensively by Ricardo Brangman for 19 after advancing to off spinner Justin Pitcher with the score 104.
Durham was dropped on 71 by Kevon Fubler in the deep with the score at 128. However, there was no damage done as he was bowled by O’Brien two balls later for a team-high 73, which included five fours and six sixes.
After Durham’s departure, Bay lost wickets in quick succession and would add only 26 runs to post 156 for nine in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Derrick Brangman was the pick of St David’s bowlers with two wickets for 13 runs with Justin Pitcher claiming two wickets for 38.
Requiring 7.8 runs an over in reply, St. David’s opened the innings with Marcus Scotland and Manders. The two put on a 28-run opening partnership before Scotland edged one into wicketkeeper Jarryd Richardson’s gloves off the bowling off Rodney Trott for seven.
St David’s were 59 for one after scoring 19 off the sixth and final over of the powerplay. They would lose their second wicket at 62 when O’Brien was caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Fray off the bowling of Jahre Blakeney for 14.
Onias Bascome came in next but retired hurt with a strain in his back with the score on 80, bringing Ricardo Brangman to join Manders at the crease. The two would carry St David’s to a commanding position at the halfway mark having scored 11 runs more than their opponents at 94 for two.
They had no mercy on Rawlins as they belted 22 runs in the fourteenth over highlighted by the heavy-hitting Manders with a straight drive for six which was caught one-handed on the grassy bank by a spectator — Dante Wellman, of First Division champions Southampton Rangers — receiving a round of applause from the large crowd.