Sea Breeze Oval: (Bay won toss) Bailey’s Bay beat Somerset by 63 runs.

Bailey’s Bay are still in the title chase in the hopes of a St David’s slip up after defeating Somerset Cricket Club by 63 runs at Sea Breeze Oval yesterday.

Stephen Outerbridge and Coolidge Durham rescued Bay from a miserable start with a game high, fifth-wicket partnership of 141 runs to lay the foundation of reaching a respectable total of 195 all out.

Greg Maybury and Somerset captain Jordan DeSilva, who returned to the team after complying with Covid protocols, opened the bowling and had Bay wobbling embarrassingly with a total that was almost equal to the number of wickets lost with six runs on the board for the loss of four wickets after only 6.3 overs.

However, that was before the batting heroics of Outerbridge and Durham.

The pair rescued their team with some sensible and mature batting, dominating the bowling with some well-timed and safe shots to slow their opponent’s charge.

Outerbridge would bring up his 50 with a textbook drive through deep extra cover for four. He was given a let off shortly after when he was dropped on the long on boundary on 51 with the score 102.

The partnership was broken 45 runs later as Outerbridge skied one to the long off boundary where DeSilva cradled a comfortable catch. He scored 67 featuring six fours and one six.

Jarryd Richardson joined Durham for a quickfire 26 from 12 including three sixes to push the total to 176.

Durham would be seventh man out for a patient 56 from 123 balls as Bay finished with a score of 195.

Maybury was the pick of the Somerset bowlers claiming four wickets for just 26 runs.

Young Jermel Proctor also claimed four scalps for a costly 54 runs with DeSilva picking up the other two wickets. Wicketkeeper Jerez Eve claimed three catches behind the stumps.

Somerset were set 196 runs to chase in their allotted 50 overs at 3.92 runs per over.

In reply, Matty Watson and Jacob Albertze batted a patient 62-run opening partnership to initiate a solid start for Somerset to build on before Watson had his bails dislodged by a Kyle Hodsoll, right-arm seamer, for a joint team high, 28 runs.

Dominic Sabir joined Albertze and the run flow continued before he mistimed a Macquille Walker delivery and played onto his stumps for 21 with the score on 92.

Somerset were ahead of the run rate but lost wickets regularly as Bay captain Terryn Fray interchanged the four Bay bowlers often to keep the batters off balance.

Opener Albertze was adjudged leg before off the spin bowling of Sharye Tavares for 28. DeSilva tried to hang around but he would edge one to the wicketkeeper for ten of Jordan Burgess.

The only other batsman to offer any resistance was Maybury who started to farm the strike as the senior batter but over played a good length ball from Hodsoll and was bowled for 17.

Somerset were playing short-handed and could only muster 132 runs for nine wickets with the last four batters scoring only one run between them.

All four of the Bay bowlers contributed with Walker claiming two for 57, Burgess three for 22, Kyle Hodsoll three for 26 and Tavares one for 21.

“Today was a lacklustre start for us with the bat but a good partnership between Stephen and Coolie saved us,” said 
Fray.

“Our bowlers pulled us through again also.

“We have one game left to play and we will see where it goes from there.”

Bailey’s Bay

S Tavares c Sabir b Maybury 0

C Durham c Richardson b Proctor 56

B Trott c Eve b DeSilva 0

T Fray lbw b DeSilva 0

R Ramasundaram c Eve b Maybury 3

Stephen Outerbridge c DeSilva b Proctor 67

J Richardson c Watson b Maybury 26

Shaquille Outerbridge b Proctor 1

K Hodsoll c Eve b Maybury 2

J Burgess lbw Proctor 11

M Walker not out 0

Extras (b 3, lb 13, w 13) 29

Total (47.4 overs) 195

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-3, 3-3, 4-6, 5-147, 6-176, 7-181, 8-181, 9-185, 10-195

Bowling:

Maybury 10-5-26-4; DeSilva 8-0-20-2; Sabir 8-0-36-0; Watson 8-1-32-0; Proctor 9.4-1-54-4,; Caesar 4-0-11-0.

Somerset

M Watson b Hodsoll 28

J Albertze lbw Tavares 28

D Sabir b Walker 21

A Richardson b Walker 0

J DeSilva c Richardson b Burgess 10

G Maybury b Hodsoll 17

J Eve lbw Burgess 0

J Proctor c Ramasundaram b Burgess 0

S Caesar lbw b Hodsoll 0

A Morrissey not out 1

Extras (b 6, w 21) 27

Total (9 wkts; 31.5 overs) 132

Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-92, 3-92, 4-108, 5-117, 6-117, 7-123, 8-131, 9-132

Bowling: Walker 9-1-57-2; Burgess 6-1-22-3; Hodsoll 6.5-0-26-3; Tavares 10-2-21-1

Umpires: M Best and D Smith