Somerset Cricket Club (Cleveland won toss): Willow Cuts beat Cleveland by 48 runs

The stage was set for an interesting run chase when Cleveland’s innings began at 4.45 after a rain delay left them chasing 174 from 33 overs.

However, just a few minutes into their innings, Willow Cuts were already sensing a big victory after the first ball dismissal of opener Treadwell Gibbons started a slump that saw Cleveland reeling at ten for four after seven overs before a middle-order fightback gave their effort some respectability.

Gibbons flicked the first ball from Kamal Bashir off his pads but the skied effort gave Joshua Commissiong an easy catch at midwicket.

Commissiong held another catch as Tamauri Tucker departed on the first ball of the next over from the southern end when Kavin Fubler replaced Kamal Bashir as Cuts made the move to switch Bashir to the other end. Bashir struck immediately, picking up the wicket of Jason Anderson, caught behind. Anderson disputed the decision as he walked off, his team in deep trouble at four for three.

After ten for four and then 39 for five, Cleveland started to offer some resistance in the middle order with Damali Bell scoring 17 and new captain Allan Douglas Jr starting to play an innings that could have turned the match around.

The dashing Douglas played some punishing strokes as he swept, hooked and cut two fours and two sixes in a quick-fire knock of 24 which came to an end with a smart low catch at slip by his cousin, Chris Douglas, who Allan removed for 19 early in the Cuts innings.

After Douglas was dismissed at 39 for five, Adrian Burrows continued to bat patiently and led Cleveland with his knock of 51 which came off eight fours.

He was dropped on 49 when he skied a shot off spinner Faheem Swan to the covers where Shaquille Jones fumbled and then put down the effort before Burrows ran the single that brought up his fifty.

Swan got revenge when he bowled Burrows in his next over on his way to two for 12. Derrick Musson added 16 not out as Cleveland were dismissed with one ball of their innings remaining.

Kavon Fubler led the Cuts bowling with three for 17 while Malachi Jones had two for 23 and Bashir two for 26.

Ricardo Brangman was high man for Cuts, scoring 55 in the middle order off four fours and three sixes as the match started at 1pm and was reduced to 40 overs a side, eventually being reduced again to 33 overs after another heavy shower kept the teams off the field from 3.12 to 4.45.

Commissiong scored a valuable 32 not out after he and Brangman added 84 for the fifth wicket in taking the score from 84 to 168. Shaquille Jones scored 26 after opening with Chris Foggo who departed with just 19 on the board.

Jones and Chris Douglas put on 33 in just five overs for the second wicket before Douglas was caught behind by Jason Anderson off his cousin’s bowling.

Damali Bell led the Cleveland bowling with two for 33.