Somerset Cricket Club (Willow Cuts won toss): Bailey’s Bay beat Willow Cuts by 108 runs

Bailey’s Bay captain Terryn Fray believes his team still has a shot at defending their Premier Division 50 overs title after they finally picked up their first win of the season against Willow Cuts on Sunday.

Fray scored 108 of Bailey’s Bay’s total of 338 for six after his side were sent into bat and then dismissed the home team for 230 in 49.4 overs to finally get their title defence up and running.

“It's never too early to write Baileys Bay off and we know in the next couple of fixtures if things go our way the league could be wide open in the second half,” Fray told The Royal Gazette.

“We give thanks that the Board [Bermuda Cricket Board] made the decision to have two rounds because had it not been that way we could have been facing down the barrel of relegation.

“But with all things being fair, the country deserves two rounds of 50 overs cricket, and I think winning today with a bit of momentum we can put ourselves back around the talking points for the second half of the season.

“It all comes down to the next two games against Cleveland and St George’s and hopefully we can put together some good performances like we did today and make it challenging.”

Fray led by example batting at No 3 as he stroked 108 from 123 balls, which included thirteen fours and a six.

“When I woke up this morning, I knew it was a good day to score some runs being that Somerset is my second home,” Fray saod.

“I came with the mindset that I was just going to keep it simple and not do anything rash if we got the opportunity to bat first. Just bat through the innings and see where we ended up and I ended up with a hundred.

“It was probably not one of my easier hundreds, but I would say less risk.”

Former captain Stephen Outerbridge chipped in with an aggressive 70, from 42 balls, which included nine boundaries and three sixes, while Delray Rawlins hammered seven fours and three sixes in a brisk 69 from 54 balls.

“I was a little bit worried because both Stephen and Del were dealing in boundaries and here I am dealing in ones and twos, but that's how it goes,” Fray said.

“Delray unfortunately was dismissed by a great catch down the legside up to the stumps and Stephen again proved why he has the name that he has. They both batted extremely well and we gave ourselves a good target to bowl at.”

Opening batter Coolidge Durham (28) and middle-order batter Shaquille Outerbridge (34) were the others in double figures for Bay.

Cuts captain Antonio Darrell led his team’s bowling with three for 73 off nine overs after bringing himself into the attack as first change.

Willow Cuts were in early trouble at 86 for four in their reply before experienced pair Kamal Bashir (71) and Kevon Fubler (67) produced a 92-run partnership to steady the ship.

However, Nhyrobi Carmichael made the big breakthrough for Bay when he dismissed Bashir to ignite another slide which saw Cuts lose their remaining five wickets for 52 runs in the space of 12 overs.

Spinner Rawlins (four for 21) and second-change Carmichael (four for 35) bagged eight wickets between them to lead the Bay attack.

“We looked to Del to open the innings with just something different and spin up top, so he came through again to get the ball rolling,” Fray said.

“Then down the back end Nhyrobi bowled two spells of five overs each and in his second spell he claimed a few scalps.

“Nhyrobi has been battling a few injuries over the last couple of years but now he seems to have found a bit of fitness and is finally coming into his own.

“He is passionate and seems like he is enjoying it, and we appreciate him for being out there and putting his body on the line for us.”

Wicketkeeper Ras Solomon Burrows (26) and Chakote Basden (19) were the only other Cuts batters making starts at the crease.