Greg Maybury is making the most of a rare opportunity to open the batting for Somerset.

More renowned for his exploits as an opening bowler, the experienced player has proven in recent weeks that he can also hold his own facing the harder, swinging new ball.

He was promoted from the middle order to fill a void left by team-mates such as overseas college students Joshua Gilbert and Solomon Burrows and has grasped the opportunity, scoring 90 and a career best 134 in his past two visits to the crease against St David’s and St George’s.

“I’m happy to take on the responsibility with a few guys away and I guess I ended up being the natural choice to open the batting,” Maybury said. “I’ve felt good in the nets and worked hard on my game.”

Maybury’s career best innings of 134 in a losing cause against St George’s was also his first hundred in top flight cricket.

“I scored a hundred back in middle-school days at Warwick Academy, but it’s been a bit dry since,” he said.

“I’ve had the odd fifty but nothing like that, so it feels good to have pulled that off but obviously it was bitter-sweet as we didn’t win the game.”

Maybury led Somerset’s chase in reply to St George’s daunting 332 for six at Somerset Cricket Club at the weekend.

He got his team off to a promising start, dominating an opening partnership of 65 with wicketkeeper Jade Morrisey as the home side plundered 78 runs off the first mandatory power play.

“Honestly, we were just keeping up with them,” Maybury said. “They did similar to us and we knew we had to get that sort of start to give ourselves a chance. It was fun and good to express myself because we actually needed to be quick. It wasn’t like I could go out there and block a few and get myself in, I actually had to throw my bat a bit.”

Maybury also dominated a 103 run third-wicket partnership with Jordan DeSilva, the Somerset captain, who chipped in with a disciplined 61.

“The conditions were pretty nice and I can’t complain,” Maybury, who also claimed three wickets in the match, added.

“We knew that from bowling and them getting 332 it was going to be one where we could play through the line, take a few chances and luckily for me and to some extent for Jordan it came off.

“There was not a lot of movement off the pitch and once the ball stopped swinging in the air it was okay to play your shots.”

St George’s, led by a match-high and career best innings of 155 by opener Mishael Paynter and captain Macai Simmons’s three-wicket haul, won the entertaining match by 47 runs.

“Credit to St George’s,” Maybury, the son of former Somerset Bridge all-rounder Greg Maybury Sr and nephew of former Somerset captain Perry Maybury, said. “They clearly put on a good performance but hopefully we get a better result next time.”

All-rounders Justin Corday, Alje Richardson and Gilbert are all due to return home this week and will be pushing for a place in Somerset’s line-up for Saturday’s 50-over clash at home to St David’s.