It was a day to remember for Bermuda’s promising cricketers as they took part in Mini Cup Match at Sea Breeze Oval on Thursday.

Players, aged from 6 to 11, were drawn from the various summer camps being run by the Department of Sport and Recreation, with each team consisting of 27 players used in a variety of ways.

While the match turned out to be a lopsided affair, with Somerset cruising to victory by ten wickets and wrestling the cup away from their rivals, players from both sides expressed their excitement at being involved.

The event, sponsored by CG Insurance, was spiced up by the presence of former and current Cup Match players such as Jekon Edness, Irving Romaine, Delray Rawlins and Kamau Leverock.

Bermuda under-19 players Luke Fulton and Luke Horan, who will be playing in St George’s final Cup Match trials on Saturday, were the umpires.

In the 25-over contest, St George’s were bowled out for 70 in 17.2 overs after being sent in to bat, with their highest runscorer Xa’Raaj Philippe contributing 18. Skanda Saravanan was the pick of the Somerset bowlers, grabbing two wickets for eight runs in his three overs.

Somerset never had any problems in their run chase with Kimori Azzario-Woods and Kosey Simmons producing some good running between the wickets while pouncing on the occasional bad ball.

Azzario-Woods top scored with an unbeaten 24 and his opening partner was also unconquered on 18.

Simmons, the Somerset captain, but who supports St George’s in Cup Match, was pleased with the team’s performance.

“I feel like we deserved to win and the team put in a lot of work in order to win,” Simmons told The Royal Gazette.

“It was a good match, I liked the batting and bowling that my team-mates did and I was happy with our bowling, especially by Skanda.

“I support St George’s but I got picked to play for Somerset, but nevertheless I’m still happy to win.”

Azzario-Woods, 10, who took home the best batter award for Somerset, was delighted to contribute

“I was happy to win the cup and to get it back from St George’s after we lost last year,” he said.

“I didn’t play last year but I knew that St George’s won it, so I wanted to win it for my team. Some of the bowlers were a bit shaky and we got most of our runs through wide deliveries. I think we did really well in running the singles under tight spaces and put their fielders under a lot of pressure.”

Saravanan, the best bowler for Somerset, was thrilled to have a first taste of Mini Cup Match. The nine-year-old struck early for the team in red tops with two wickets in the first over.

“Winning this means a lot because this is my first time playing Mini Cup Match,’’ he said.

“I feel happy to win and my team-mates and I deserved it, we really worked hard.”

Ryan Outerbridge, runner-up in the Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby this year, is working as a sports specialist at Camp Kiskadee, based at Dalton E Tucker Primary School, and he was thrilled to lead Somerset to victory.

“It really feels great to win this and in my first year we didn’t get the victory, but it always feels good to bounce back,” Outerbridge said.

“Some of the players are returnees from last year but the majority are new faces.

“We tried to make the teams as even as possible during our training sessions. We had two or three sessions prior to the game and we picked the teams from there.

“These youngsters have a lot of fun when they come out here. Win or lose, it’s just good vibes all round. I support Somerset in Cup Match and I can say this with confidence, we’re winning it outright this year.”

Zion Mallory-Robinson, the St George’s captain relished playing in the tournament for the third and last time. The 11-year-old was part of the St George’s team that won the trophy in 2023, when he was voted the most outstanding bowler for his team, while this year, he was adjudged the best fielder for his side.

“It’s my third year playing in Mini Cup Match, so I’ve had a lot of experience,’’ Mallory-Robinson said.

“My team was a little different this year and even though Somerset won, we still kept our heads up.

“In the last few years we've played at Devonshire Rec, but Bailey’s Bay is a beautiful venue.”

For Tsi Outerbridge, 11, the St George’s loss did not matter as the experience of being part of the event meant a lot.

“It was good even though we lost and it was such an awesome match to be a part of,’’ Outerbridge said.

“The atmosphere and the support from my team-mates was just great. I support Somerset but I had to play for St George’s.”

Sanaa Hodsoll, the daughter of former St George’s Cup Match player, Kyle Hodsoll, took to the field and has aspirations of playing for Bermuda.

“It was my first time playing Mini Cup Match and it was really fun,’’ she said.

“Watching everyone try their best was really nice. We tried our best to win this cup but Somerset played really well.

“My dad played his first Cup Match in 2012 for St George’s and I wasn’t born yet but I watched him in 2017 when the match ended in a draw.

“I’m really good at bowling right now, but I would love to become a good batter one day, I’ve just to keep on training. My dream is to play for the Bermuda women’s team.”

Tyler Dill, one of the St George’s coaches, was proud of the effort put in by his team.

Quincy Aberdeen, the sports co-ordinator for summer day camps, felt it was an enjoyable day for everyone.

“I thought the day was great, the players enjoyed the match and the campers came to enjoy the festivities for the day,’’ Aberdeen said.

“Thanks to our sponsors CG, to Jekon Edness and Irving Romaine for the work they did. We’re really grateful to Bailey’s Bay for allowing us to use their wonderful facility.”

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