Somerset Cricket Club (Somerset won toss): Bailey’s Bay beat Somerset by seven wickets

A veritable run feast saw Bailey’s Bay stroll past ten-man Somerset with acres to spare, despite chasing a massive total put forth by the home side.

The victory fortified Bay’s place among the upper echelon in the highly competitive Premier Division, with three wins from four matches to commence the season.

Initially, though, the outlook harboured some gloom, as after winning the toss and electing to bat, the West Enders plundered Bay’s bowling attack for 320 runs in their 50-over allotment, spurred by a maiden Premier League century from South Africa native Jayde Albertze.

Albertze, recruited to Somerset from the Evening League, where he turns out for Renegades, was in fine fettle, demonstrating an array of drives and pull shots while batting throughout the innings to compile 138 not out.

He engaged in a trio of extended partnerships along the way, including a 183-run stand for the third wicket with Alje Richardson (90), as well as two half-century partnerships with Chris Douglas (21) and Greg Maybury (25).

Somerset’s total also benefited from a bevy of dropped catches by the visiting side, together with sloppy fielding and wayward bowling.

For Bay, swing bowler Kyle Hodsoll claimed two for 53, while Macquille Walker and Sharye Tavares each took one wicket.

However, if Somerset thought their position a lofty one, such notions were soon made questionable once Bay took their turn at the crease.

From the outset the chasers embarked on a “scorched earth” approach, as opener Tavares took to a bowling attack containing only captain Maybury as a legitimate, frontline practitioner.

With Coolidge Durham as the perfect foil, Tavares launched a barrage of strokes to all parts, the pair taking full advantage of the opening ten-over powerplay to register 100 runs.

Tavares’s innings of 54, which included 12 fours, came to an end with a failed pull attempt off second-change bowler Azar Morrissey.

The dismissal, though, would only slow Bay for moment as Brandon Trott joined Durham in the middle with the score 109, and the pair would engage in a 108-run second-wicket partnership that placed their side firmly in control.

Durham (83) failed to elude Maybury at cover off Morrissey when looking poised for a century of his own, leaving Trott to continue on — and proceed he did to great effect.

A 65-run partnership with Terryn Fray placed Bay on the precipice of victory before the latter fell for 36.

Stephen Outerbridge (ten) then came in to mop up the remains with Trott, who would end stranded on 92.

Morrissey took all three wickets to fall, albeit at great cost on a day where bat beat ball without apology.

Of his team’s successful chase, Fray said that from the outset the wicket had demonstrated a distinct friendliness to batsmen.

“From early we noticed that the wicket was flat and we wanted to bat first, but lost the toss,” he said. “I thought a couple of their guys batted well, but from the innings break we knew that it was flat and if you just played cricket shots the target was reachable. I wouldn’t say easy, but definitely reachable.

“In the end we did make it look easy, with eight overs to spare. The guys batted well up top. Bad balls were put away and we were able to strike at ten runs an over, which makes it real easy.”

Fray added how his club were well on schedule with regard to their preseason goal of challenging for top honours in the league.

“After today we’re right on target as to what we wanted,” he said. “We lost to St David’s a few weeks back, but after our win last week against St George’s our goal was to end the first half at 4-1 and see where that puts us.

“It puts us at the top of the table, or at least tied for first. Next week we have Willow Cuts, who we can’t underestimate, which will allow us to see where we stand at the halfway point in the season. We can reassess our goals for the remainder.”

Meanwhile, for centurion Albertze the feeling was a mixed one, his ability to achieve his first hundred in top-flight local cricket individually satisfying, yet marred by his team’s loss.

“I’m really satisfied with my score today,” said Albertze, who as a teenager used to open the batting for Northern Cape Province in his home country. “This being my first game here for Somerset, I really wanted to come in with a big score and I was hoping I could start off with a century.

“So I’m very privileged and thank God I was able to do that, but it would have been nice to get the win as well.

“For the last two years, with Covid, I didn’t really play much cricket, but after it eased I joined Renegades and in my second match I scored 108 not out.

“I played just casually in South Africa because I was busy with studies and work, and didn’t have much time to play seriously, but once I got to Bermuda I found a bit of time to start playing more good cricket again.”

Somerset

†J Eve c Trott b Hodsoll 4

J Albertze not out 138

C Douglas b Tavares 21

A Richardson b Hodsoll 90

*G Maybury c Burgess b Walker 26

M Fullerton not out 0

Extras (b 5, lb 3, nb 5, w 28) 41

Total (4 wkts, 50 overs) 320

T Corday, D Richardson, R Jones and A Morrissey did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-82, 3-265, 4-320.

Bowling: Hodsoll 10-1-53-2; Walker 9-0-69-1; Burgess 10-0-64-0; Tavares 10-1-46-1; Jackson 3-0-19-0; Durham 4-0-22-0; Trott 3-0-20-0; S Outerbridge 1-0-19-0.

Bailey’s Bay

S Tavares b Morrissey 54

C Durham c Maybury b Morrissey 83

B Trott not out 92

*T Fray c Douglas b Morrissey 36

S Outerbridge not out 10

Extras (b 6, lb 10, nb 4, w 27) 47

Total (3 wkts; 42.3 overs) 322

K Trott, †L Outerbridge, K Hodsoll, J Burgess, M Walker and S Jackson did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-109, 2-217, 3-282

Bowling: Maybury 8-0-47-0; Richardson 7-0-76-0; Douglas 10-0-55-0; Morrissey 9-0-78-3; Corday 8.3-1-50-0;

Umpires: R Dill and S Caines.