Dion Stovell and Kamau Leverock earned recalls as champions Somerset made their expected two changes from last year’s team.

The all-rounders have filled the voids left by Janeiro Tucker and Jacobi Robinson, who retired from Cup Match after the draw at Somerset Cricket Club in 2016.

The additions of Stovell and Leverock have solidified Somerset’s batting order and given them another option in the seam and spin-bowling departments.

Somerset’s selection committee took less than three hours to deliberate before announcing their team at about 11.15pm on Saturday night.

“It’s a very solid and balanced team,” Mike Corday, the chairman of Somerset’s selection committee, said. “We had a few options and we went over every one of them.

“There was a lot of deliberations about certain things and a lot of variables as we are going to St George’s so we discussed everything in detail.

“The major debate was around three players — Dion, Kamau and Joshua Gilbert — and we had to take everything in consideration in terms of what the coach and captain want in their game plan. All those things were considered and we have picked the strongest team to go into St George’s.

“We covered everything with a fine comb. Everyone had their say, everything tactically was considered and this is the strongest and most balanced team to take into St George’s to, not only defend the cup, but give us a good chance of winning.

“But at the end of the day, cricket is a funny game and is played on the field. St George’s can still pick a dangerous team.”

There were concerns over Stovell’s health after he suffered a cut near his left eye and road rash in a motorcycle accident on the eve of Saturday’s trial match.

“We did have concerns but we had the physio with him and she has assured us that right now it is just a little swelling and it will go down, so we think he will be all right,” Corday said. “Dion told us that he’s fine and so he just has to get the swelling down.

“Defensively he looked really solid. The only thing we were concerned about was, is this just road rash and some swelling or do we need to get him attention in terms of concussion and stuff like that because obviously it’s part of his head.

“But the road rash is minor. It’s not that deep road rash; it’s surface stuff.”

In the rain-affected trial match, the Vice-President’s XI beat the President’s XI by three wickets.

The Vice-President’s XI overcame a late middle-order slide, with Leverock leading the run chase with a swashbuckling knock of 42 from 33 balls.

Batting at No 3, the MCCU Cardiff player got off the mark with a towering six down the ground, which set the tone for his aggressive innings, as he punished anything short or wide with authority.

Leverock dominated a second-wicket stand of 55 with opener Alec Dore, smashing five boundaries and two sixes with some excellent footwork and shot selection.

Derrick Brangman, the left-arm spinner, snapped the partnership when Dore, who gathered a patient 32 from 89 balls, offered an easy return catch.

Leverock was removed five balls later after playing on as first-change Brangman picked up two wickets in his eighth over.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Regino Smith and Stovell steadied the ship, adding 37 runs for the fourth wicket to carry their team to the brink of victory.

Part-time off spinner Chris Douglas broke the stand when he held a return catch from Smith, with Stovell falling 11 runs later when he was caught in the covers off the bowling of spin bowler Justin Corday.

The Vice-President’s XI suffered further damage before getting safely across the line, as opening bowler Kamal Bashir picked up two wickets in his second spell.

Brangman was the pick of the President’s XI’s bowling with two wickets for 26 runs, while Bashir took two for 35.

William White was also among the runs, scoring 29 in an opening stand of 52 with Dore, before being caught by Brangman off the bowling of off spinner Marcus Johnson.

Earlier, the President’s XI’s innings was delayed by rain and, after the skies cleared, Stephen Outerbridge hammered a ruthless unbeaten half-century.

The Bailey’s Bay batsman struck nine boundaries and a six in his top knock of 61, his 50 arriving off 52 balls.

Outerbridge and wicketkeeper-batsman Jekon Edness, the former Somerset captain, led a fightback after the President’s XI slipped to 85 for three in the 27th over. The pair added 79 runs for the fifth wicket to put their team back in control.

Edness was the last batsmen to be dismissed, off the bowling of Gilbert after gathering 25 from 43 balls with three boundaries, as the President’s XI’s innings ended at the cut-off time.

Opener Douglas scored 30 from 60 balls and Tre Manders 31 from 92 higher up the order.

Malachi Jones, the Vice-President’s XI captain, led his team’s attack with one wicket for 15 runs.

Team: Jordan DeSilva (captain), Malachi Jones (vice-captain), Terryn Fray, Chris Douglas, Tre Manders, Stephen Outerbridge, Dion Stovell, Kamau Leverock, Jekon Edness, Derrick Brangman, Greg Maybury. Reserves: Justin Corday, Alje Richardson, Kwasi James.

Scoreboard

Somerset Cricket Club (President’s XI won toss): Vice-President’s XI beat President’s XI by three wickets

President’s XI

C Douglas c Morrissey b James 30

T Fray c Smith b Jones 4

T Manders lbw b Stovell 31

S Outerbridge not out 61

†J Edness c White b Gilbert 25

Extras: (lb 9, nb 4) 13

Total (4 wkts dec, 43 overs) 164

*J DeSilva, D Brangman, J Corday, G Maybury, M Johnson and K Bashir did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-65, 3-85, 4-164.

Bowling: Jones 7-4-15-1; Leverock 9-1-38-0; Simons 7-1-26-0; Stovell 6-2-19-1; James 6-0-28-1; Gilbert 8-1-35-1.

Vice-President’s XI

A Dore c and b Brangman 32

W White c Brangman b Johnson 29

K Leverock b Brangman 42

†R Smith c and b Douglas 31

D Stovell c Outerbridge b Corday 10

K James st Edness b Bashir 12

J Gilbert not out 7

A Richardson b Bashir 2

J Morrissey not out 0

Extras (lb 5) 5

Total (7 wkts, 44.4 overs) 170

M Simons and *M Jones did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-107, 3-108, 4-145, 5-156, 6-162, 7-164.

Bowling: Maybury 7-2-40-0; Bashir 10-1-35-2; Brangman 10-2-26-2; DeSilva 4-2-5-0; Johnson 4-0-24-1; Corday 8-0-28-1; Douglas 1-0-1-1; Manders .4-0-6-0.

Umpires: C Brangman and E Carrington.