Bailey’s Bay pair Zeko Burgess and Kyle Hodsoll issued an ominous warning to challengers Cleveland County before the opening round of the Eastern Counties on Saturday.

The seam bowlers warmed up for Bay’s title defence in the best possible way, claiming nine wickets with the new ball, in their team’s nine-wicket win over Somerset in the One Premier Division at Somerset Cricket Club at the weekend.

Burgess led the charge with five for 17 — his best figures of the season — while Hodsoll claimed four for 24.

“I was very pleased with my performance,” Burgess said. “It was one of my better performances of the year and bowling all five of them was a good accomplishment.

“This is my second five-wicket haul of the season, so it’s a good feeling.

“I feel better this season and fitter and things are starting to come together.”

Burgess and Hodsoll exploited a damp pitch, varying their line and length with deadly effect to keep the Somerset batsmen on the back foot.

“I was a bit surprised and thought they would have sent us in to bat first,” Hodsoll said.

“Coming out we saw the wicket was a little damp from the beginning so the pitch wasn’t really playing too good for short bowling. We knew we had to pitch the ball up in the block or just short of a length and attack the stumps and it paid off for us.

“We just attacked the stumps and made the batsmen have to play.”

After laying the foundation for Bay’s big win over relegation-threatened Somerset, Burgess and Hodsoll quickly turned their attention to their team’s Eastern Counties title defence against Cleveland.

“I took five wickets against St George’s and kept the momentum going with another five against Somerset and so I’m hoping to continue that in the counties game,” Burgess said.

“Now that I’m hitting form I feel I can make an impact.”

Hodsoll is also excited about the big occasion.

“We have a big day coming up so that’s my main focus right now and hopefully we get the win which is our aim,” he said.

The pair have been a thorn in Somerset’s side this season as they were also the heroes in Bay’s one-wicket win over Somerset at Sea Breeze Oval last month. On that occasion they produced a vital 81-run partnership that put Bay’s run chase back on track after the home side slipped to 68 for eight in reply to Somerset’s 150 for six.

Burgess and Hodsoll were both recalled to St George’s’ Cup Match team last year and are likely to retain their places as the challengers resume their bid to dethrone champions Somerset at Somerset Cricket Club next month.

Wendell Smith, the St George’s assistant coach, watched both players impress against Somerset.

“What I thought worked good for Kyle and Zeko is that Wendell was there,” Noel Gibbons, the Bay assistant coach, said.

“He had a look at them and had to be pleased at what he saw.”