Somerset Cricket Club (Somerset won toss; final day of two): Somerset drew with St George’s

Two days of exciting cricket failed to produce a winner in the end as the match at Somerset ended in a tame draw just as the stage was being set for a thrilling run chase in the final hour of the second day.

St George’s were precariously placed at 162 for six when the mandatory final 20 overs began at 6.30pm.

At that stage their lead was only 56 with Somerset desperate to take the final four wickets for as little runs, and in as few overs, as possible.

Three quick wickets kept the anticipation level high as Allan Douglas, playing one extravagant shot too many, skied a shot off spinner Derrick Brangman to mid-wicket where Jordan DeSilva, the Somerset captain, held a good catch to end a flourishing partnership of 43 with Rodney Trott.

Douglas, elegant and bold in his strokes, smashed a four and three sixes in his knock of 33, but it looked to be in vain when Trott was caught at slip next ball by Jekon Edness — who had given the wicketkeeping duties to Chris Douglas — to leave St George’s staring defeat at 177 for eight with 18 overs still remaining.

In the next over Justin Donawa, on as a substitute fielder, put down a chance off George O’Brien in the covers, before O’Brien was bowled next ball as St George’s slumped to 178 for nine.

Patience was required and Stefan Kelly and Justin Pitcher provided it, as they added a match-saving 22 for the last wicket which also ate up some vital overs, before Pitcher was dismissed for 20 when he lofted an off-drive and Brangman ran some distance before taking a good low catch to end the innings.

It also signalled the end of the game as only 7.4 overs were left and two more overs would have been lost in the changeover, leaving Somerset little more than five overs to score 95 runs for victory. DeSilva decided it would be a futile run chase and pulled up one of the stumps to indicate he wouldn’t take up the challenge of scoring 19 runs an over.

“By the time we ended up getting them out the game was a draw,” DeSilva said. “When they lost the last wicket OJ [Pitcher] called out to me and asked ‘what do you want to do’ and I said ‘that’s it’, but the umpire put the stump back in.”

DeSilva admitted Somerset needed to take the last few St George’s wickets quicker in order to give themselves more overs to chase, but Kelly and Pitcher batted sensibly to frustrate the champions.

Also playing a crucial role with the bat for St George’s in the second innings was Sinclair Smith, the colt, who followed up his 31 in the first innings with 42 in the second after being promoted to No 3 after Treadwell Gibbons, who made 32, and Oronde Bascome, with 28, posted 43 for the first wicket.

Starting their second innings at 2pm, St George’s batted until the close at 7.24pm, facing 62.2 overs.

“If we had the whole 20 overs to bat I would have backed my team to score anywhere around 80, but by the time we ended up getting them out realistically the game was a draw,” DeSilva said.

A draw always looked the likely outcome when Somerset batted until 1.42pm yesterday in posting 336 for a lead of 106. The excitement in the first hour was provided by Janeiro Tucker who, after being dropped in the covers on 93 by Justin Pitcher off a low chance to his right, went on to complete his fifth Cup Match century.

It was his first at Somerset Cricket Club in what was his last appearance in Cup Match. Tucker’s hundred came on the 75th anniversary of Alma “Champ” Hunt’s first century scored by a Somerset player in Cup Match, 104 in 1941.

Tucker, 76 overnight and with Somerset on 185 for four, eventually passed the St George’s first-innings total of 230 for nine declared.

Tucker hit 14 fours and only one six which came after he had completed the century, dropping to his knees with his arms extended as he looked towards the clubhouse.

His innings ended when he dragged the ball back onto his stumps after attempting a sweep shot against Allan Douglas.

Tucker was fifth out on 258 in the 70th over after sharing in a second century partnership in the innings, first adding 113 with Stephen Outerbridge for the fourth wicket as they rescued Somerset from a precarious position of 36 for three.

Then, when Outerbridge was dismissed for a well-played 49, Tucker and Edness shared in another century stand, putting on 109 to take Somerset past the St George’s total.

Overshadowed was Edness’s impressive effort of 73, which included 12 fours, after coming in at number six. St George’s quickly claimed the last five wickets for 36 runs as Allan Douglas followed up his well-played 77 on the first day by taking five wickets for 64 runs on the second day.

George O’Brien had set the tone with the first four wickets, eventually finishing with four for 68 off 21 overs.

DeSilva achieved the main goal of not losing in his first year as captain, though few would have bet against Somerset winning the match after they had St George’s reeling at 15 for four after just 28 minutes and five overs on the first morning after DeSilva invited St George’s to bat first after winning the toss.

Gibbons was caught at third slip in the second over and in the third, fourth, and fifth overs, Malachi Jones and Greg Maybury inflicted more damage, removing OJ Pitcher, the St George’s captain, Trott and Bascome after three of the first four fell to catches in the slips.

Malachi Jones finished with five for 53 from 15.3 overs while Maybury backed him perfectly, taking three for 57 in 12 overs.

Somerset bowled just five overs of spin on the first day as seam did the damage before a century stand between Douglas and Lionel Cann brought St George’s back into the game.

The pair added 119 for the fifth wicket before Cann was caught in the covers by DeSilva off Jones for 45 in 108 minutes. He faced 40 balls and hit six fours and two sixes.

Douglas showed no mercy to the Somerset bowlers, stroking five fours and seven sixes in his 77 which came off just 47 balls. He was bowled by Maybury trying to drive off his toes.

“Malachi did an amazing job in that first innings, bowling 15 overs in that hot sun,” said DeSilva, who singled out Jones, Tucker, Outerbridge and Brangman for their performances. “Then Stephen batted with Janeiro to get us out of that hole at 36 for three.

“That’s what we picked Stephen for, for those type of situations because mentally he’s on a different level from other people. Then Jekon came in after Stephen got out, survived the rest of the day and then went on today and got himself 70-odd.

“Derrick didn’t do too well with his bowling yesterday but he made up for it today, taking four wickets. Everybody put in 100 per cent and I’m proud of everybody.”

DeSilva coped well with the pressure of leading Somerset for the first time, making sure the trophy stayed in the West End, and said he was now looking forward to next year’s match in St George’s.

“This is my sixth Cup Match and the least nervous I’ve felt during Cup Match, which was ironic, really,” DeSilva said. “I can’t wait to next year to try to win twice in a row down in St George’s.

“Whoever we replace Janeiro with they are going to be good enough to do the job. Are they going to be Mr Cup Match? Probably not, but I have confidence that whoever we select next year that we can get the job done.”

SCORECARD

St George’s: First Innings

T Gibbons c Douglas b Maybury 1

O Bascome c Tucker b Jones 10

*OJ Pitcher c DeSilva b Jones 1

R Trott c Manders b Maybury 1

L Cann c DeSilva b Jones 45

A Douglas b Maybury 77

M Simmons c Edness b Jones 29

†S Smith lbw b Jones 31

J Pitcher c and b Robinson 6

G O’Brien not out 21

Extras (b 1, lb 6, nb 1) 8

Total (9 wkts dec; 42.3 overs) 230

S Kelly did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-5, 3-13, 4-15, 5-134, 6-154, 7-183, 8-204, 9-230.

Bowling: Jones 15.3-3-53-5; Maybury 12-3-57-3; DeSilva 6-1-29-0; Tucker 4-1-19-0; Brangman 2-0-26-0; Robinson 3-0-39-1.

Somerset: First Innings (overnight 185-4)

C Douglas c Kelly b O’Brien 11

T Fray b O’Brien 16

T Manders b O’Brien 0

S Outerbridge c Smith b O’Brien 49

J Tucker b Douglas 113

†J Edness b Douglas 73

M Jones c Kelly b Douglas 31

*J DeSilva not out 8

J Robinson c Smith b Douglas 6

D Brangman c Trott b Douglas 0

G Maybury lbw b Trott 4

Extras (b 14, lb 9, nb 3) 25

Total (86.4 overs) 336

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-17, 3-36, 4-148.

Bowling: Kelly 14-0-63-0; O’Brien 21-4-68-4; Trott 10.4-0-39-1; Douglas 19-1-64-5; J Pitcher 14-2-54-0; Gibbons 4-0-8-0; OJ Pitcher 2-0-9-0; Simmons 2-0-8-0.

St George’s: Second Innings

T Gibbons run out 32

O Bascome c Robinson b Brangman 28

†S Smith lbw b Brangman 42

*OJ Pitcher c Outerbridge b DeSilva 1

M Simmons c Outerbridge b Robinson 12

L Cann c Fray b Robinson 14

A Douglas c DeSilva b Brangman 33

R Trott c Edness b Brangman 12

S Kelly not out 3

G O’Brien b Maybury 0

J Pitcher c Brangman b Robinson 20

Extras (lb 2, w 1) 3

Total (62.2 overs) 200

Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-98, 3-105, 4-105, 5-126, 6-134, 7-177, 8-177, 9-178.

Bowling: Jones 5-0-23-0; Maybury 8-1-29-1; Robinson 14.2-1-66-3; Brangman 26-12-45-4; DeSilva 7-0-27-1; Douglas 2-0-8-0.

Umpires: O Andrade, E Carrington

Third official: J McKirdy

Match referee: R Dill