Somerset openers Terryn Fray and Chris Douglas have etched their names into the annals of Cup Match history with a record first-wicket partnership.

The pair put on 153 runs, Douglas scoring 74 while Fray fell just ten shy of a century, as St George’s were made to toil in the field on the first day at Somerset Cricket Club.

Douglas and Fray’s record tops the 143 Wendell Smith and Arnold Manders made for St George’s in the West End in 1991.

The mammoth partnership was broken when Douglas, who faced just 95 balls, was caught by his cousin, Allan Douglas, off the seam bowling of Zeko Burgess.

Fray, whose acumen is the perfect foil to Douglas’s aggression, scored at a slightly more measured rate, facing 122 balls before Burgess bowled him for 90.

“On a wicket like this you don’t need to be overly aggressive because once you time the ball you’re going to get value for your shots,” said Fray, whose side declared on 369 for seven before reducing St George’s to 58 for four.

“Chris is more aggressive and I’m more steadier — we compliment each other well. We got off to a flyer thanks to Chris. He was hitting the ball well at the start and he was pulling away.”

Chare Smith’s first over of the day set an ominous tone for St George’s, with Douglas dispatching the 20-year-old debutant for 16 runs, including three fours.

Fray admits he was surprised the youngster was handed the responsibility of bowling the first over given the magnitude of the occasion.

“Maybe [Smith] was a little nervous and he gave us some loose deliveries,” Fray said. “Fortunately Chris was the one facing at the time and he dispatched them as he should.

“I was just trying to take my time as it was a good wicket and I knew if I played straight I’d be OK. As I got closer to fifty I was in the groove.”

Fray, whose top score in Cup Match is 121 not out in 2014, said he was not overly despondent to miss out on a century despite showing disappointment by taking a long time to leave the crease.

“Everyone gets out in the 90s at some point — that’s cricket,” he added. “I’m not too disappointed. The milestone means a lot, but the way I was playing means the most to me.”

Sensing a memorable win, Fray said Somerset will look to put St George’s under intense pressure tomorrow morning and bowl them out by lunch.

“We’re going to come out early and get a good warm-up in and try and go at them from the start,” Fray said.

“Hopefully we will have them all out by lunch and then see whether we send them back in. That’s our plan.”