Somerset coach Janeiro Tucker has alleged he was assaulted by St George’s vice-captain Macai Simmons after the Cup Match trophy ceremony at Wellington Oval on Friday.

Tucker claims that Simmons pushed his head away in an unprovoked incident that was witnessed by many at the ground.

He further contends that St George’s Cricket Club president Mishael Paynter and Somerset counterpart, Richard Scott, tried unsuccessfully to restrain Simmons, who was removed from the vicinity by police officers who were on hand to provide post-match security.

Tucker, the all-time leading run-getter in Cup Match and the only player to score five centuries in the game, offered his version of events.

“After the presentation Chinky [Macai Simmons], Onias [Bascome] and Fubler [Kevon] came and said their little words to me, but Chinky carried on about how I am the dumbest coach and all that went on in the dressing room,” Tucker told The Royal Gazette.

“I just left it at that but then he came back outside, kept carrying on and pushed me in my head with his finger, and I was like ‘what is your problem?’”

“He just wanted to fight me so president Mishael Paynter and Richard Scott stepped in to try to talk to him and pull him away. But he was still trying to fight me and that is when the police intervened and pulled him away out of the tent.”

Tucker alleges he was taunted by the same three players throughout the match.

“Those guys were going at me for two days and I don’t know if it's jealousy, but that’s the only thing it can be because I don’t say anything,” Tucker said.

Those guys are not my company but I still speak to them and hail them up. But they came from the presentation and were just f*****g me off. I said ‘no worries’ because that’s what they were doing for the two days, which is cool.

“I don’t mind that because you can say whatever you want, but when you start putting your hands on me that’s a whole different ball game.

“Banter is normal; it’s in the game and has been going on way before my time. Banter is one thing but abuse is something else. I can handle the banter but he [Simmons] crossed the line by putting his hands on me and pushing my head. He just wanted to fight me and I have no idea what his reasons are.”

Simmons declined to comment on the matter when contacted by The Royal Gazette while attempts to get a response from senior officials at both clubs were also unsuccessful.

Simmons and Bascome were involved in a number of unsavoury on-field incidents during the match.

Simmons was incensed at being given out leg-before by umpire Alex Knight in his team’s only turn at bat, insisting he had hit the ball before shouting and pointing at the official as he walked off.

Former St George’s captain Bascome also lost his cool 20 minutes from the close of play after being trapped lbw, with captain Sinclair Smith walking out to the field to encourage him off the pitch as he remonstrated with umpire Marc McCormack.

Three spectators then entered onto the field to vent their frustration at McCormack over his decision, with one of them having to be kept apart from the umpire by a Somerset player.

Simmons also shoulder-charged incoming Somerset batter Tre Manders, who pushed him away on his way to the crease before Bascome squirted water into Manders’s face.

Somerset colt Zeri Tomlinson was also intimidated by the St George’s players, who were unhappy the teenager chose to switch allegiance and join the west end side after spending four years as a reserve for the east enders.

“When I went out there what was being said hit me all at once, especially after I had got out,” the Bermuda Under-19 captain said.

Terryn Fray, the Somerset captain, called out the poor behaviour in his post-match comments.

Speaking in front of Scott, Paynter and Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, he encouraged players to respect umpires and the spirit of the game.

“As players, we’re lacking deportment and we’re lacking respect in the game,” Fray said.

“Between both clubs we need to understand that umpires are here to do a job and they might not get it right but at the end of the day we have to respect them as they make cricket happen.

“Going forward I would like to see both teams start to have more respect towards the umpires. For the guys that have hard outs, live with it. We have all had hard outs and we have to move forward in this game with respect.

“We’re not just playing for ourselves, we’re playing for our family and this crest. I hope next year we can come together as two teams and try to play in the right way.”