Janeiro Tucker bowed out of Cup Match in a manner befitting arguably the classic’s greatest player of all time.

The Somerset all-rounder ended his illustrious Cup Match career with a bang, curbing his natural aggressive instincts to achieve a maiden century at Somerset and record fifth overall.

A century on home turf had eluded Tucker for more than two decades. However, he would not be denied on this occasion as he reached the milestone before lunch on the second day off 172 balls in 239 minutes.

The former Somerset captain became the first batsmen to score five centuries in the classic after flicking a Stefan Kelly delivery down the legside and scampering through for two runs.

The sight of Tucker dropping to his knees at mid-crease pretty much summed up how much achieving the milestone in front of the home crowd meant.

“It was special to get a hundred at Somerset for the first time,” Tucker said. “Twenty-one years of playing Cup Match, I finally got a hundred in Somerset.”

Tucker’s moment of glory almost never happened as he was dropped by Justin Pitcher in the covers when on 93.

It proved to be the only flaw in a marathon innings of the highest quality.

“I lost my concentration for that split second, fatigue was setting in because it was getting hot out there,” Tucker said.

“But I am glad he [Pitcher] dropped it so I could go on and get my hundred, which was chanceless all the way up to 93.

“It wasn’t any real pressure on me. It was just a matter of staying focused in the moment and not looking forward to the hundred.

I was just taking it one run at a time to get to that milestone, and I didn’t really want to play any big shots.

“My mind set from yesterday [Thursday] when I went in was to bat all day and as long as I could this morning [yesterday]. I wasn’t aggressive, I played each ball as it came and if it was in my slot then I take you and if it’s a good ball then I respect it.

“It was no aggressive hitting, just concentration, block my wicket and score a hundred. I knew my role in the team and I was going to bat through, just playing straight up and down and make them bowl to what I wanted. I wasn’t going after nothing rash and if you look I hit one six and that was after I made my hundred.”

Tucker went to bed unbeaten on 76 at stumps on the first day and returned the next morning to resume his innings facing the second new ball.

“I was glad they took the new ball on Thursday because I knew they were not going to get nothing out of it.” Tucker said. “Once they took the new ball it worked to my advantage and they probably stood a better chance taking it the [following] morning.

“I told Jekon [Edness] if they take it tonight [Thursday] then we are going to be all right in the morning which is what happened.

“Once I saw Jekon’s first over this morning it was just straight through, a little bounce but no sideways movement, so it was just making sure you got in line with the ball back and across and make them bowl to me. If you are not bowling on my stumps I don’t have to play.”

Tucker featured in two partnerships that laid the foundation for Somerset’s first innings total of 336 for nine declared.

He added 113 runs for the fourth-wicket with Stephen Outerbridge and a further 109 runs for the fifth-wicket with Edness, before he played on a delivery from Allan Douglas.