Dominic Sabir and Dion Stovell struck half centuries as holders Somerset batted themselves into a position of strength on the opening day of Cup Match at Somerset Cricket Club on Thursday.

Sabir struck a boundary-laden 67 while Stovell remained unbeaten on 52 at stumps with the champions comfortably poised at 277 for six.

“It was a good day and I thought the guys batted well,” Terryn Fray, the Somerset captain, told The Royal Gazette.

“As you can see everyone applied themselves and it’s a good feeling being in this position going into tomorrow.”

After abnormal scenes off the pitch on the first day of Cup Match, things took on a very familiar look in the middle when play started.

The entire morning session was lost after the start of the match was delayed due to weather and safety checks with scaffolding at the ground. Play finally got underway at 2.20pm with Somerset opting to take first strike on an excellent batting track.

The champions suffered an early setback as captain Terryn Fray was caught behind by St George’s counterpart Sinclair Smith off the bowling of Zeko Burgess with the second delivery of the match without troubling the scorers.

Burgess and fellow seamer Luke Horan came in for some heavy punishment from Kamau Leverock (47) and colt Jaiden Manders (28) as Somerset set about repairing the early damage.

The pair moved the score along to 44 before Manders got a leading edge going for another big hit and was comfortably caught off the bowling of Horan by Isaiah O'Brien at short long off

Leverock survived a scare when he was put down by Nzari Paynter at midwicket off the bowling of St George’s colt Keegan Jones.

The Somerset all-rounder smashed the first six of the match off O’Brien straight down the ground as he closed in on a half century, which eluded him after he was caught by Horan at long off of a Delray Rawlins full toss.

Tre Manders (43) and Sabir steadied the ship as St George's unleashed their spinners at both ends with the former also living a charmed life after being dropped behind by wicketkeeper Smith off the bowling of Kevon Fubler in the forties.

Manders’ luck finally ran out when he was trapped in front by off spinner Paynter just seven runs shy of a fifty to leave Somerset 149 for four at tea.

Sabir reached his fifty, off 86 balls, when play resumed after glancing a Horan delivery down to the third man boundary.

But with a century seemingly there for the taking, the Somerset vice-captain’s fine innings finally ended when he was superbly caught by Onias Bascome at slip off the bowling of Jont Smith.

St George’s reserve Jahnoi Bean replaced captain Smith behind the stumps and took a brilliant catch off the bowling of all-rounder Jonte Smith to dislodge Somerset wicketkeeper Zarai Tomlinson (5) before Stovell and Jermal Proctor (23 not out) put up the shutters to see the hosts to stumps without further loss.

Stovell flicked Jones down the leg side and crossed for two runs to bring up his half century off 86 balls with what proved to be the last act of the day.

“Today definitely had positives and some things we could’ve done better as well,” St George’s captain Smith said.

“I thought we applied ourselves well with the delayed start getting those early wickets. But those partnerships broke the momentum for us and there were a few chances that we could’ve capitalised on that we didn’t. But it’s cricket and I am more than happy with the way the guys applied themselves.”

As for his reasons for leaving the pitch, Smith said: “My body just wasn’t responding the way I wanted to, but I’ll be back tomorrow 100 per cent.”