St George’s Cup Match stalwart Lionel Cann has rubbished Somerset claims that rain saved the challengers from defeat during last week’s Cup Match at Wellington Oval.The match ended in a tame draw with St George’s grinding along at 137 for five in their second innings after following on in reply to Somerset’s first innings total of 370 for six declared.In the wake of the match, Somerset coach Jeff Richardson insisted that had it not been for rain delays his team would’ve won hands down.Cann, however, begs to differ.He reckoned that the rain may have saved Somerset on the second day and not the other way around.St George’s were 42 runs in first innings arrears when stumps were pulled with Cann (26) and Rodney Trott (33) unbeaten at the crease after adding 54 runs for the sixth wicket.But Cann believed that time lost to rain prevented St George’s from carving out a lead and bowling Somerset out in their second innings on a disintegrating track.“The game could’ve swung on its heels, especially with Rodney and me set and the others to come like Allan Douglas, Lateef Trott and Justin Pitcher,” he said. “A lead of anywhere between 100 and 121 runs on that treacherous wicket would’ve been a whole different ask for Somerset batting last.“Can you imagine them batting last on that wicket which is something their coach admitted they didn’t want to do. And a prime example would be in 2005 when they were chasing 121 runs to win and got knocked down for 94 — and this wicket was worse than that one.“You had Malachi Jones and Kamau Leverock bowling short balls that were almost hitting my shoelaces and then you had Janeiro Tucker and Jacobi Robinson bowling balls right up in the block that were bouncing over my head.“Yes, Somerset outplayed us the first day. But had we got a lead in the second innings it would have been hard for them batting last so for him (Richardson) to say rain saved St George’s is totally rubbish.“It’s obvious they got the best of the wicket on the first day against a young attack that couldn’t hold their line and length and they took advantage of that. But the wicket changed drastically on the second day and the time lost to rain was a big factor. And what he (Richardson) has to realise is that Cup Match is not won on the first day and there were a lot of elements in that game that could’ve changed,”Cann also dismissed Richardson’s assertion that St George’s had no respect for the champions.“Their coach said St George’s don’t respect Somerset but I know for a fact that my team respects Somerset and I respect Somerset,” he said. “I think Somerset have a good team and ten of their players are in the national squad.”This year saw Cann become the fourth St George’s player to score 1,000 runs in Cup Match and fifth overall after reaching the milestone before the heavens opened up on the second day.He started his innings with 999 runs under his belt and faced 12 deliveries and survived several confident LBW appeals before he got off the mark to join an exclusive group of company.“It was a struggle because they bowled tight and they didn’t want to give me my runs,” Cann recalled. “I had to be patient on a deteriorating wicket and wait for my turn.“Milestones come when you play long enough and I think it’s great to join that exclusive club.”