Charles Trott produced a captain’s innings to guide St George’s to a three-wicket win over defending champions Somerset in a low-scoring Colts Cup Match at Somerset yesterday.

The left-handed batsman stroked an unbeaten 45 and dominating a vital partnership with Isaiah Greaves.

Trott came to the crease with his team on 56 for four chasing Somerset’s 135 all out and was fortunate to even get going after being spilt in slips before getting off the mark.

It was the first of three catches Somerset dropped off Trott who made them pay dearly.

Along with Greaves, who chipped in with 23, Trott added 53 runs for the sixth wicket to repair the early damage. The East Enders were pegged back again as Micah Simons picked up two quick wickets in a second spell. But the damage had already been done and it was only fitting that Trott served the last rites, smashing Dalin Richardson out of the park to clinch his team’s victory.

“I gave a few chances but they dropped me and I capitalised on it,” said Trott, whose match winning 60-ball innings included five fours and three sixes. “It wasn’t nothing that really bothered me and once I got myself in I felt comfortable. I had a great innings and haven’t had a knock like that all year.”

Also featuring prominently in St George’s run chase was early order bat Q’Shai Darrell who lashed 40 from 34 balls and along with wicketkeeper Najiah Raynor added 46 runs for the second wicket before the challengers lost four wickets in the space of 20 runs. Simons, the left-arm seam bowler, led the Somerset attack with three for 13.

Earlier, Somerset struggled to build partnerships after being sent in with their batsmen paying the price for poor shot selection. Things seemed promising for the holders with openers Jade Morrissey and Jerez Eve adding 24 runs for the first wicket. But once Jordan Smith made the initial breakthrough when he had Morrissey held at square leg, Somerset began to unravel. A 43-run partnership between Isaiah Richardson, the Somerset captain, and Joseph Basden stopped the bleeding. But once both batsmen were removed in the space of two runs St George’s mopped up the tail. Isaiah Richardson, the captain, was Somerset’s top scorer with 23 from 64 balls, Morrissey scored 20 from 44 balls.

Man of the match Trott, Jordan Smith and Darrell took two wickets each for St George’s.

“I thought the guys fought very hard today,” Onias Bascome, the St George’s coach, said. “It came down to the wire but my captain played a very good captain’s innings to take us all the way and secure it.”

Richardson, the Somerset captain, added: “Coming in we were definitely the favourites but unfortunately we let ourselves down in the batting department and were probably about 30 runs short in the end.

“We also let ourselves down in the field, dropping a few big catches and in the end paying the price.”