Somerset kept their grip on the prize after Cup Match fizzled out into a draw at Wellington Oval yesterday.

Somerset fans were on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a second straight triumph in the East End when St George’s started their second innings 122 runs behind the holders’ first innings total of 211 for seven declared.

The West Enders seemed well on their way after St George’s were quickly reduced to 58 for five with Kamau Leverock inflicting the heaviest damage with the new ball.

The MCC Cardiff University all-rounder claimed the wickets of Sinclair Smith and Onias Bascome, the St George’s vice-captain, in his first two overs.

Jordan DeSilva, the Somerset captain, brought himself into the attack late on and claimed the wicket of Treadwell Gibbons who was caught at slip with his first delivery from the western end of the ground.

The champions made further inroads when Derrick Brangman, the left-arm spinner, trapped Macai Simmons, the St George’s captain, leg before and then Allen Douglas dragged a short delivery onto his stumps.

At this juncture St George’s were staring defeat in the face with Somerset moving in for the kill.

The home side were let off the hook when Rodney Trott was dropped by DeSilva at slip off the bowling of Brangman.

That miss came back to haunt Somerset as Trott and Lionel Cann, who became the third highest run scorer in Cup Match behind Janeiro Tucker and Charlie Marshall with a single off DeSilva, produced a match saving partnership that frustrated the champions.

The middle-order pair displayed the technique and discipline the task required to thwart a Somerset attack that lost some of its edge after Leverock went off the field with leg cramp.

Trott and Cann added 46 runs before the draw was conceded with nine overs remaining in the match with St George’s 104 for five — still 18 runs behind. Cann was unbeaten on 25 and Trott on 24 when stumps were pulled.

Leverock was Somerset’s best bowler in the St George’s second innings with two wickets for 23 runs.

Things might have panned out entirely differently for Somerset had they made the most of their chances as Gibbons was dropped at mid-wicket and then involved in a mix-up with Simmons that nearly led to a run out.

The loss of Leverock who left the field for several hours to have treatment for cramp also did Somerset’s victory hopes no favour as he made life difficult for the St George’s batsmen with his nagging lines and varying pace.

The nephew of former Somerset left-arm spinner Dwayne Leverock marked his return to the big stage with match figures of four for 53.

He was not the only Somerset seamer wreaking havoc, though, as fellow new-ball bowler Malachi Jones also claimed four wickets in the St George’s first innings, that included a wicket-maiden.

All but 6.2 overs of play were lost on the first day because of rain.

The game started at 3.08pm and after only 31 minutes of play another shower sent the players off the field for good with St George’s 27 for two after being sent to bat as openers Gibbons and Smith went cheaply.

The ball continued to dominate the bat as the batsmen placed little value on their wickets when St George’s resumed their first innings half an hour earlier yesterday morning.

St George’s folded for 89 runs in 28 overs, one of the lowest innings totals in recent memory, with their remaining eight wickets falling for 62 runs.

Jones led the Somerset attack with four for 20.

Somerset began their first innings before lunch and thanks to a polished half century from opener Chris Douglas managed to build a comfortable lead to place themselves in the driver’s seat with an entire session remaining.

The left handed batsmen entertained the crowd with some exquisite cover drives and flicks off his pads as he batted the champions into a position of strength. Douglas reached his 50 off 88 balls in 81 minutes with a single off Simmons.

An innings that promised much more finally ended when Douglas fell for 69 after playing a Trott delivery onto his stumps.

Leverock took over from here, accelerating the run rate with a boundary filled 32 from 30 balls, before he went for one big hit too many and was caught in the deep.

Allen Douglas was superb once again in the field as he took a spectacular acrobatic grab on the mid wicket fence to dismiss Stephen Outerbridge and then ran out Jekon Edness with a direct throw from the gully region.

Jones was the last Somerset wicket to fall at 190 before Dion Stovell and DeSilva put up the shutters until the declaration was made right on the tea break.

SCORECARD

St George’s first innings

T Gibbons run out 5

†S Smith lbw Jones 0

O Bascome run out 20

*M Simmons c DeSilva b Leverock 17

L Cann c DeSilva b Brangman 6

A Douglas c Outerbridge b Jones 0

R Trott b Leverock 11

N Paynter (colt) lbw Jones 1

Z Burgess cwk Edness b Maybury 4

G O’Brien b Jones 12

K Hodsoll not out 6

Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 1, nb 3) 1

Total (all out, 28 overs) 89

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-5, 3-3-40, 4-47, 5-47, 6-62, 7-64, 8-66, 9-83

Bowling: Jones 11-3-20-4: Maybury 4-0-25-1; Leverock 8-0-30-2; Brangman 3-1-2-1; DeSilva 2-0-9-0.

Somerset first innings

T Fray lbw O’Brien 8

C Douglas b Trott 69

T Manders b O’Brien 6

S Outerbridge c Douglas b Hodsoll 29

K Leverock c Burgess b Gibbons 32

D Stovell not out 17

†J Edness run out Douglas 5

M Jones run out 3

*J DeSilva not out 16

D Brangman, G Maybury did not bat

Extras (b 19, lb 5, nb 2) 26

Total (for 7 wkts dec; 42 overs) 211

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-52, 3-124, 4-124, 5-163, 6-182, 7-190

Bowling: O’Brien 12-0-46-2; Hodsoll 8-0-19-1; Burgess 6-0-32-0; Trott 8-1-46-1; Simmons 6-1-20-0; Douglas 1-0-8-0; Gibbons 1-0-16-1

St George’s second innings

T Gibbons c Douglas b DeSilva 14

†S Smith b Leverock 0

O Bascome c Manders b Leverock 4

*M Simmons lbw Brangman 33

L Cann not out 25

A Douglas Jr b Maybury 1

R Trott not out 24

N Paynter, Z Burgess, G O’Brien, K Hodsoll did not bat

Extras (lb 1, w 1, nb 1) 3

Total (for 5 wickets, 34 overs) 104

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-14, 3-34, 4-57, 5-58

Bowling: Jones 7-2-28-0; Leverock 7-2-23-2; DeSilva 4-1-11-1; Brangman 8-3-10-1; Maybury 3-0-12-1; Stovell 3-0-7-0; Douglas 2-0-12-0.

Umpires: R Dill, M Best.