In the midst of a tame draw, Cup Match '98 will be remembered for some significant individual achievements with the bat.

Mark Ray and Albert Steede, who came up playing their cricket together at National Sports Club, both played important roles for their teams, while Somerset colts Kwame Tucker and Sammy Robinson never looked out of their depth on the big day.

Ray is the leading contender for the MVP award after his unbeaten 103 rescued champions St. George's from a precarious position midway through the afternoon session on the second day. It was the 20th century in the Classic.

"I felt pretty confident, that's the type of innings I like to build,'' said Ray, 29, after the match.

"I like to build an innings and hang around, but unfortunately we lost some wickets. We had quality bats right through, somebody to hang around at the other end, and so I just took my time.'' After scoring just five runs in 10 minutes in the first innings as an opener, Ray was put back to his more accustomed position in the middle-order and responded magnificently after coming to the wicket at 49-3.

"I felt good the first day, but unfortunately the ball came off my pad and I `played on','' said Ray, whose ton earned him $850 in donations from the fans.

He said he never got the jitters as he neared his first century of the season.

"I felt confident, I just took my time. When you want to make runs, this is the place to make them.'' And Ray stressed that pulling the team to safety was more important than the century.

"The century wouldn't have been any good without us keeping the cup,'' he added.

Steede, who scored his first ton two years ago when Somerset won the cup, reached another milestone when he scored his 25th run in the first innings on his way to his fifth half-century.

That brought up Steede's 700th run in Cup Match, only the ninth player in Cup Match history to join the `700 Club'. Steede said he wasn't even aware of the feat until informed during this interview.

"I just do what I have to do, that's my job to bat and I try to do it to the best of my ability,'' said Steede, who remains second to Colin Blades in the all-time averages.

His 747 runs in Cup Match have come at an average of 41.50 from 18 innings, with his 72 runs this year moving him into sixth place ahead of Sheridan Raynor, Eldon Raynor and Rupert Scotland.

Steede has been the most consistent batsman in Cup Match in the last five years, during which time a total of 536 runs have come in his last 10 innings from scores of 56, 47, 89, 35, 71, 108, 41, 17, 61 and 11 since 1994. At 30, Steede has plenty of time to join Wendell Smith (1,143) as the second player to pass 1,000 runs.

While he was the Somerset hero two years ago, this year Steede was criticised for batting slowly on the first evening.

"It was a combination of a few things. First we lost a few vital wickets early on and I knew we still had some colts to come in,'' Steede explained.

"I solidified one of the ends and made sure I played an anchor role until we built up some confidence and we got more runs. When Sammy started to get on we picked it up in the last hour, although in the second hour we batted we made just 11 runs or so.

"We were looking to score at least 200 but we did well considering the circumstances. We fell short but we didn't lose any wickets after we lost the first three, so that was a positive note.

"I still think we did extremely well to score the runs that we did. We bowled extremely well but we just couldn't get Mark who saved St. George's. He scored a chanceless hundred and we couldn't get that one vital wicket.'' Robinson showed himself to be a player for the big occasion, marking his debut with 63 in the first innings, including seven fours and three sixes.

"I wasn't nervous at all, just a little bit when I first went in but I overcame that,'' said the St. David's youngster who played a trial at St.

George's earlier in the season.

"I got in a zone and went from there, my confidence was high.'' Robinson, on 55 at the close of the first day, said he didn't spend too much time thinking about Charlie Marshall's colt's record of 100.

"Irving Romaine was telling me to go for it, but I'm not one for personal gain,'' said Robinson. "I just wanted to do what the team needed. I'm pleased, I had fun.'' While Romaine, also a colt, failed in his only innings, wicketkeeper/batsman Kwame Tucker enjoyed a memorable debut. As well as holding four catches, Tucker scored 29 and 50 not out as an opening batsman.

His 50 came in the last 18 overs of the match and came in 68 minutes, including seven fours and a six.

Gary Brangman of St. George's, who made his debut a year ago, followed up his five for 35 in the first innings last year with six for 55 in the first innings this year.