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

Cup Match legend Janeiro Tucker led the charge as Somerset edged past Willow Cuts in a closely contested West End derby in the Knockout Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

Tucker took four wickets for just 18 runs with his right-arm medium pace in his ten overs, with the timing of his introduction crucial in periods when wickets were required to change the momentum of the innings.

Somerset won the toss and elected to bat, with Matthew Watson and Amari Ebbin opening the day. Watson was dropped on just six runs by Herbie Bascome at short extra cover off the bowling of Antonio Darrell.

The Cuts captain would find his rhythm soon after and fooled Amari Ebbin with the swing of his delivery, bowling him between middle and leg stump. Alje Richardson and Watson steadied the ship with a 50-run partnership for the second wicket, which came in just 55 balls. Dean Stevens, the pick of the Willow Cuts bowlers, bowled Richardson with a slower ball just six runs short of his half-century.

Four overs later, Stevens bowled Watson between middle and leg stump to leave Somerset in a spot of bother at 84 for three after 20 overs, and he could have claimed the scalp of Chris Douglas only for wicketkeeper Shaquille Bean to drop a reasonably simple catch from an inside edge.

Somerset continued to rotate the strike comfortably and hit the midway point of the innings at 93 for four, that wicket falling when Dominic Sabir mistimed a googly by off spinner Kevon Fubler.

After Douglas was trapped leg-before by Stevens, South African JD Albertze and local young star Jermal Proctor manufactured the second partnership of the day for the sixth wicket.

That was broken by a lack of communication between the wickets, which featured Albertze run out by the quick-thinking Antonio Darrell as he sprinted back to his crease. Chakote Basden took three of the final four wickets as Somerset were bowled out for under 200 and the underdogs had the slight advantage.

Cuts took a measured approach to their run chase of just 195 to win, with skipper Darrell and Dwight Basden alternating the strike with relative ease, but Darrell was caught by Tucker off his own bowling to stem the underdogs’ early rhythm.

Relatives Dwight and Joseph Basden were also dismissed in a quick flurry as Somerset took three wickets for just ten runs.

Deunte Darrell was dropped twice in his first few balls by wicketkeeper Ebbin and would take full advantage by playing the support role in a 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Chakote Basden.

Dominic Sabir, despite not performing with the bat, made a strong contribution with the ball by spinning through the middle order as Cuts entered the final period needing 55 to win from 15 overs.

Deunte Darrell achieved his fifty in style with a sneaky single off the bowling of Somerset skipper Jordan DeSilva. A few minutes later, Tucker began his rampage, trapping him leg before and then bowling Kyle Brangman in a double-wicket maiden over.

A solid cameo from Shaquille Bean, supported ably by Micah Simons, stemmed the tide for about six overs but when Simons attempted a heave to third man, Alje Richardson made a simple catch to halt Cuts just six runs short of a very achievable chase.

Somerset all-rounder Alje Richardson was disappointed with minor bowling errors. “We need to keep the extras down,” he said. “Had we cut those down, and been tighter in the field, it would have been more comfortable.”

Richardson spoke about the importance of being responsible with the bat in this format. “We need to be more patient at the crease,” the all-rounder added. “If we stay composed, each batter’s innings, including mine, will be more fruitful.”