Runs were the order of the day on day one of Cup Match at Wellington Oval with four players getting their pockets stuffed with cash after scoring half centuries and the game evenly matched at the halfway point.

Somerset captain Terryn Fray, Dion Stovell and Tre Manders led the charge early for the champions, who posted 291 after winning the toss, before some big hitting from Delray Rawlins and Onias Bascome helped to propel St George’s to 176 for five at the close of play to trail by 115 runs.

After the first few overs of the morning session it appeared this year could follow the same script as 2024 with Fray and Kamau Leverock forming a solid opening partnership and scoring at a rate of five an over after winning the toss.

Leverock scored the fastest century in Cup Match history last year on his way to making 153 but was more circumspect this time, patiently waiting to put away bad balls by the St George’s bowlers.

The Somerset star had done that nicely and was just one lusty blow away from a half century when caught by Jonte Smith off a short ball by Zeko Burgess, who toiled hard in sweltering conditions to pick up five wickets for St George’s.

Leverock was replaced at the crease by Tre Manders, who had been struggling for runs in domestic cricket this season and was dropped by Bailey’s Bay for the Eastern Counties first round against Flatts this month.

St George’s attempted to apply pressure to Manders with five men around the bat and while it took him nine balls to score his first runs, he showed that form is just temporary with his first 12 runs scored via boundaries.

Cup Match clearly proved the catalyst for Manders’s return to form and although the St George’s bowlers did not give him the hardest of times, the batter provided the game’s second fifty before lunch.

After reaching 158 for two at the interval, Somerset suffered a post-break collapse, slipping to 190 for six, with Manders the first wicket to fall on 59. He was caught low to his right by Delray Rawlins off the bowling of Luke Horan, who picked up his first Cup Match wicket as a colt.

Somerset colt Alex Dore made just four and his dismissal brought the excellent Stovell to the crease. But he could only stand and watch as Dominic Sabir was caught on the boundary by Smith for six and debutant Zeri Tomlinson was trapped lbw by Burgess for a golden duck.

Tomlinson was greeted to and from the crease by plenty of verbals from the St George’s players who were clearly unhappy after the teenager chose to switch allegiance and join the west end side after spending four years as a reserve for the east enders.

Tomlinson’s dismissal brought Derrick Brangman to the wicket and the veteran combination of him and Stovell stabilised the innings, putting on 74 runs for the seventh wicket. During that time, Stovell was mobbed by Somerset fans after reaching his fifty.

The veteran’s innings came to an end on 65 when he became another of Burgess’s victims, with Scotland taking another catch. Burgess completed his five-wicket haul when Dalin Richardson became the second colt to be out first ball after gloving a catch to Onias Bascome before spinner Kevon Fubler took the final two wickets of Malachi Jones and Macquille Walker.

St George’s got off the worst possible start in reply when Marcus Scotland was caught second ball by Alex Dore at short leg off the bowling of Leverock.

Jonte Smith made a quickfire 16 before sending a drive into the hands of Walker before Paynter was dismissed in the same manner as Scotland after making just one run from 22 balls to leave the challengers at 25 for three.

Vice-captain Macai Simmons joined Rawlins in the middle and played some fantastic shots before being dismissed in controversial fashion for 28. Simmons was incensed at being given out lbw by umpire Alex Knight, insisting he had hit the ball, and walked off shouting and pointing at the official.

Bascome and Rawlins then struck up a promising partnership with the former clearing the ground twice with massive sixes and the momentum of their partnership failed to be halted by an injury to the latter, who appeared to struggle with cramp on a number of occasions.

Rawlins brought the St George’s fans on to the pitch for the first time after scoring a run-a-ball fifty and he was more than matched by Bascome, who cleared the ground on a few occasions, racing on to 43 from 27 balls.

But he would also lose his composure 20 minutes from the close of play after being trapped leg before by Leverock, with captain Sinclair Smith walking out to the field to encourage the former captain off the pitch as he remonstrated with umpire Mark McCormack.

Colt Isaiah O’Brien avoided the fate of Somerset counterparts Tomlinson and Richardson by getting off the mark and with Rawlins dominating strike, St George’s will resume tomorrow with their best and newest player at the crease.