Amid all the carnage inflicted by the Somerset bowlers on the final day of Cup Match, Isaiah O’Brien stood tall at the crease.

O’Brien defied Somerset for over an hour in his second innings to almost earn a draw for St George’s with his highest score in the Annual Classic. Walking in to bat when his team were 29 for one, the teenager played with a calm head for his 67-ball 64.

He put on 82 for the second wicket with opener Nzari Paynter and frustrated the Somerset fielders. When O’Brien was eventually undone by a ball from Kamau Leverock in the 28th over, his side could not sustain the resistance, capitulating with minutes to go.

“It felt nice batting out there today,” O’Brien told The Royal Gazette.

“Being able to make runs in front of the whole of Bermuda was really amazing and it’s great to make runs with the whole island watching. Unfortunately, I came out on the wrong end of this one.

“I felt like I played a good innings. I hit my shots at the right time, respected the good ball, which they bowled a lot of, and capitalised on the loose one.

“Two days of cricket is always a challenge on the mental side. Sometimes it gets physical, some guys started to cramp later on and I also felt some cramp on Thursday night.”

The 18-year-old was the only St George’s batter to take some money home after notching up his maiden half-century. Having lost his great-grandfather Samuel Paynter, a St George’s Cup Match legend, at the beginning of the year, the former Bermuda under-19 player was delighted to honour his legacy.

“It was a real pleasure seeing my family being the first ones when I got my fifty,” he said.

“It’s just nice that I was able to do that for them. I lost my great-grandfather this year and he is a Cup Match legend, so I went out there and scored runs in memory of him.”

In his debut at Wellington Oval last year, O’Brien scored 11 runs. In the first innings on Friday, he fell for a two-ball duck before he redeemed himself at the second time of asking.

“Getting such milestones motivates me a lot as a young player,” he said.

“Being that this is only my second Cup Match and the third time batting in Cup Match, I’ve set a standard for myself now and I’ve got to just keep building on that.”

Stacey O’Brien, the player’s mother, was delighted to witness her son notching up his first half-century.

“Today was one of those unforgettable moments that fills a mother’s heart with overwhelming pride,” she said.

“Watching my son score his very first Cup Match 50 was truly special. Every run reflected the hard work, dedication and determination he’s put into his game.

“Congratulations son — this is just the beginning of many great achievements to come. Keep believing in yourself, stay humble and continue making us proud.”

Somerset captain Terryn Fray, who plays with the young all-rounder in the national team, acknowledged O’Brien as one of the rising stars in the game.

“In my eyes this guy is the best youngster that’s coming up in the world,” Fray said.

“He’s doing so well and I think he really deserves it because he puts in the hard work. He beats me too in golf sometimes, but he's just doing well and today I just want to say keep it up.”