Watching St George’s crumble to an innings defeat by Somerset at Cup Match was difficult for former captain Wendell Smith to watch.

Smith, who returned this season to assist coach Ryan Steede, was part of the Bermuda Broadcasting Company’s commentary team and watched every ball as Somerset dominated proceedings after winning the toss and posting 378 for nine on the first day to eliminate any hopes of a St George’s upset.

After that it was just a matter of whether they could pull off a first innings victory since 1948, accomplishing it with 11.5 overs remaining, after a stubborn century from Onias Bascome threatened to deny them.

Smith, who never lost as captain between 1984 and 1992, was a member of the losing St George’s team of 1979. This year’s loss brought back memories of defeat.

“It was difficult being a commentator and a coach because so many times I wished I was down there, but that was Ryan Steede’s job,” Smith said after the match.

“I told him before the season that I would help prepare the guys, but I had a commitment to Bermuda Broadcasting Company. Most of the public knew I was down there coaching but they also knew this was what I was expected to do for Cup Match.”

Somerset captain Jordan DeSilva did not hesitate to bat first after winning the toss. On a flat wicket they piled on the runs, reaching their first 50 in 35 minutes before the hundred came up in 83 minutes. At the end of the first day, with the challengers replying with 58 for four, St George’s fans knew that avoiding the follow-on would be a big achievement.

“It was a very good toss to win, it was a beautiful wicket to bat on and Somerset did something I thought was very smart, they sunned St George’s, batting from 10 o’clock until two minutes to five,” Smith said of the tactics by the champions, who had their top four batsmen all reach half-centuries.

Smith’s own record of 143 for the first wicket, set with Arnold Manders in 1991, was broken by Somerset’s opening stand of 153 between Chris Douglas and Terryn Fray.

“They had some fantastic partnerships, the opening one was brilliant, with the running between the wicket,” Smith said. “Stephen Outerbridge and Tre Manders batted very well, but to St George’s credit, their heads didn’t drop and they picked up some late wickets.

“Their batting in the first innings left a lot to be desired. Dion Stovell, particularly, has the ability to bowl spin centre and leg and players, instead of on-driving, tried to cross-bat him. Our skipper fell both days to the same stroke, lbw playing across the line. He obviously was upset by that, but cricket is a game where if you make one mistake as a batsman that could be your downfall.”

St George’s had three leg-before decisions in the first innings and four in the second with spinner Stovell getting four of the calls — two in each innings — in his seven wickets in the match.

Onias Bascome and Zeko Burgess saved St George’s from an even more humiliating loss with a ninth-wicket stand of 97 that took the match late into the second day, later than Somerset had anticipated.

“I was very impressed with Onias, he didn’t score many runs during the season but I joked with him this week that maybe you’re saving them for when it matters most,” said the commentator. “Sure enough he did that.

“Alma ‘Champ’ Hunt told me from his hospital bed, the hallmark of a good batsman is when he can produce runs when his team needs him.

“Amid all that [century] celebration, I told [co-commentator] Allen Richardson that his concentration was affected because before that he was playing very correct and then all of a sudden he tried to paddle sweep a ball that was on his wicket.

“Unfortunately, I can’t blame him for that because without his innings we would have been facing a really demoralising defeat. In the end he showed some class, pride and determination.”

Bascome and Burgess came together at 125 for eight, still 132 runs from an innings defeat.

“We were with our backs against the wall and Onias batted from 3.10 to 7.05,” Smith said. “If we had even two more batsmen who batted with the discipline that was needed, this would not have happened. He showed a maturity beyond his years, his hitting was very clean.”

The four St George’s colts had mixed fortunes; seamer Chare Smith going for 16 runs in the first over while Detroy Smith had two ducks on his debut, batting for only four balls in total.

“Chare Smith had a slow start but he bowled well once he got into the atmosphere of Cup Match,” Smith feels. “Charles Trott batted very well, batted over an hour on the second day and bowled well.

“For me the shock of the whole Cup Match was the manner in Temiko Wilson was dismissed on day two because he looked like he was set. He is somebody, who once he is in, doesn’t get out. He played a couple of excellent cover drives, so at least the crowd got to see a bit of his talent.

“Zeko Burgess didn’t swipe, he pushed forward and didn’t keep the bat and pad together and left a gap. I have to commend Zeko, he demonstrated what was needed by some of the middle-order batsmen. He also picked up three wickets on day one on a batsmen’s paradise.”

Somerset are threatening to dominate Cup Match like St George’s did in the 1960s under Cal “Bummy” Symonds, who had eight victories, including four by an innings.

“Although St George’s lost two-to-one I was able to find a lot of positives in our play,” Smith said. “I’ve never seen a two-to-one before, I was a youngster when that last happened.”