Somerset's Saleem Mukuddem has been voted the Bank of Butterfield Cup Match MVP for the second year in succession following his 160 not out on the first day of play at Somerset Cricket Club.

The South African was left stranded just 26 runs short of current Somerset captain Janeiro Tucker's record score of 186 and fought off stiff competition for the award from his national team skipper Clay Smith, who saved the East Enders from a convincing defeat on day two with a defiant 113.

“I'm absolutely thrilled to get the award again,” Mukuddem said yesterday.

“Somebody asked me yesterday, ‘what is it with you and Cup Match?' and I honestly have to say I don't know. Possibly as an expat I feel a little bit more relaxed out in the middle and don't get caught up in the hype and the pressure of the two days because I did not grow up with it.”

“But I'm ecstatic,” he continued, “because I came in at 52 for three and was concerned that as St.George's had been bowled out cheaply and we had lost early wickets, the pitch might be a bit more difficult to bat on than I had thought. But I managed to maintain my concentration and stay calm and as the innings wore on I just started feeling better and better.”

However, Mukuddem again insisted that the chance of going on to break Tucker's record “really did not matter” to him.

“I look at cricket as my hobby and I play it purely for enjoyment,” he said.

“I think the issue of breaking the record is more of a concern for outsiders, those who watch the game and comment on it in the press. For me, all that really matters is whether I am getting satisfaction out of being out there and whether my contribution has helped the team in some way. I obviously want to do well, but being number one is not the be all and end all for me.”

The Western Stars allrounder also played tribute to Smith's innings.

“Clay almost singlehandedly saved St.George's from defeat,” he said.

“Not only did he make a hundred but he occupied the crease for a long period on the second day and we ran out of ideas against him. When the chips are down, as he has proved for Bermuda this year, he is the man for the job.”