Somerset Cricket Club (Somerset won toss): Warwick beat Somerset by six wickets.

Openers Malachi Jones and Jahcobi Butterfield blasted a 112-run opening partnership to lay the foundation as Warwick beat Somerset in the opening game of the T20 Premier Division season.

Having won the toss, Somerset were batting well with openers JD Albertze and Greg Maybury scoring freely as the two put on 67 runs in the six-over power play.

The opening stand of 74 was broken when Cory Burgess bowled Maybury for 28 runs. Somerset were cruising at 96-3 before the heavens opened up resulting in an hour and twenty minute delay which also forced a reduction of 16 overs per team.

The delay proved a blessing to Warwick as Somerset lost three wickets in the space of five balls immediately after the resumption of play including captain Jordan DeSilva for a “golden duck”.

Albertze brought up his 50 as he drove Cory Burgess to long on for a single. He was eventually caught by Jones on the deep mid-wicket boundary as the first of three wickets in the last over bowled by Torleair Caines without adding to his score as Somerset closed their reduced innings with 136 runs on the board. Caines, Jodi Maronie and Jones claimed two wickets apiece.

In reply, Jones was particularly brutal on the Somerset bowlers including 20 runs from captain DeSilva’s only over. Warwick reached 72 runs after just six overs and were well ahead of the required run rate.

Jones brought up his 50 in 23 balls but was bowled the first ball he faced from spinner, Azar Morrissey. He scored 65 off 29 balls hitting three fours and six sixes.

Butterfield followed soon after as he swung hard for the fences from a Morrissey slow floater only to miss the ball completely and was stumped by wicketkeeper Chris Douglas for 39 from 29 balls with the score at 119.

By this time victory was imminent as Caines and Ajani Lee scored the remaining runs required.

Morrissey came on as the sixth change and topped the Somerset bowling with three wickets for 24 runs from his three overs. Sheldon Caesar claimed the other wicket for 20 runs from his three overs.

“Somerset got off to a flyer but the rain came and broke up their momentum,” said Lorenzo Tucker, the Warwick coach.

“Malachi and Jahcobi were hitting the ball clean off the bat and gave us a great start.

“It feels good to win our first game.”

Somerset

J D Albertze c Jones b Caines 50

G Maybury c Burgess b Maronie 28

C Douglas b Maronie 17

A Richardson b Jones 1

J DeSilva b Jones 0

I Richardson b Burgess 0

T Corday lbw Caines 21

M Fullerton not out 0

S Caesar not out 0

Extras (b 8, lb 5, w 7) 20

Total (8 wkts, 16 overs) 136

A Morrissey did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-89, 3-96, 4-96., 5-97, 6-129, 7-136

Bowling: Caines 3-0-25-2, Fulton 3-0-37-0, Maronie 4-0-30-2, Jones 4-1-21-2

Warwick

M Jones b Morrissey 65

J Butterfield st Douglas b Morrissey 38

T Caines c Richardson b Morrissey 11

A Ible lbw Caesar 1

A Lee not out 9

O DeShields not out 0

Extras (lb 4, w 8) 12

Total (4 wkts; 13 overs) 137

Fall of wickets: 1-112, 2-119, 3-126, 4-136

Bowling: Maybury 2-0-9-0, Richardson 2-0-30-0, Corday 2-0-28-0, DeSilva 1-0-20-0, Caesar 3-0-20-1, Morrissey 3-0-24-3, Fullerton 0-0-1-0.

Umpires: D Smith and H Watson

• The Warwick scorecard was incomplete.