Somerset CC (St George’s won toss): Somerset beat St George’s by 25 runs.

In what they hope will be a sign of things to come in a few days’ time, Somerset held on to the Colts Cup Match trophy with a 25-run victory yesterday.

Forced to end their innings at 123-8 at the 4pm cutoff, following three rain stoppages, the champions clawed their way towards their target with a good stand between Delray Rawlins and Charles Trott for the third wicket. The stand produced 39 valuable runs after Somerset struck two early blows to have them in trouble at 11-2.

Two more quick wickets turned the match back in Somerset’s favour, first when Trott was bowled for 11 in Justin Donawa’s second over and then when Rawlins top-edged a hook against Kwasi James, the Somerset captain, and gave a catch to backward square leg fielder Alex Dore. It ended Rawlins last appearance in a Colts Cup Match as he will make his debut in Cup Match this week and will no longer be eligible.

The loss of Rawlins made it 54-4 and wickets fell regularly after that as Somerset tightened the screws with paceman Donawa in full flow, bowling Shaquille Outerbridge and San’j Dill in the same over to make it 61-6.

It seemed only a matter of time before the home team wrapped up a comfortable victory, but a growing partnership for the ninth wicket between Macai McGowan and Kacy Greene stalled things as St George’s threatened a late fightback.

The pair quickly put on 19 with McGowan, a lanky fast bowler from Cleveland, striking five boundaries against the Somerset pacers to reach 22 when he was run out after Greene turned a ball from Donawa to backward square leg and set off for a risky single and McGowan was left well short of the crease at the batsman’s end.

That made it 93-9 and the last pair added just five more before Donawa picked up his fourth wicket — all bowled – when he shattered Greene’s stumps to end the match just as the sun finally started to break through the clouds on an overcast day.

Donawa, the man of the match, finished with figures of four for 24 from 8.1 overs while James supported with three for 28 at the other end after new ball pair Kirt Brown and Sheldon Caesar took a wicket apiece from their four over spells.

“I’m satisfied, we were good in the field today, we took our catches, batted well and unfortunately the rain slipped us up a little bit,” said James. “We were in and out and weren’t able to get a momentum going. “There was a cut-off time and I wasn’t satisfied with the 123, but all my bowlers bowled well, at the top of off-stump which is what we worked on in training. This is definitely a sign of things to come this week and for future Cup Match spots.”

Jahnoi Bean was the high man in the somerset innings with 41 from eight fours, coming to the crease with just five runs on the board after Dore became McGowan’s first victim.

Bean added 44 for the third wicket with James (19 off three fours) while Tyshun Brown also hit three fours in his 16 before falling on 93-5, bowled by Rawlins who claimed the last four wickets, including two off the fourth and fifth deliveries of his ninth over.

The rain halted play again and ended Somerset’s innings with Rawlins on a hat-trick, as he finished with four for 13 from 8.5 overs with four maidens.

McGowan also bowled well, taking three for 38 from 12 overs with three maidens.