Somerset Cricket Club (Cleveland won toss): Cleveland beat Willow Cuts by 267 runs

Allan Douglas Jr thumped a superb 86 and claimed four wickets as Cleveland powered to an emphatic win over Willow Cuts on Sunday.

The aggressive middle-order batter put the Cuts attack to the sword, belting six sixes and nine boundaries in a whirlwind innings of 86 from 42 balls as he featured in three fruitful partnerships that laid the foundation for Cleveland’s massive total of 394 for nine in 50 overs after electing to bat.

Douglas added 55 with wicketkeeper Steven Bremar Jr, 61 with Jabari Darrell and 143 with Tamauri Tucker before being dismissed fourteen runs shy of his hundred.

“Allan batted with maturity,” Cleveland coach Clevie Wade told The Royal Gazette.

“The stage was set for him when he went to the wicket and he took his time playing himself in and then he just did his thing

“A couple of innings he has had this season he would go out there swashbuckling up in the air and out, but today you saw a different a side of him. You saw that he really wanted to bat and put his head down. He batted about three or four overs before he really started to do his thing.”

Darrell was Cleveland’s next highest scorer with 67, while opener Treadwell Gibbons stroked 60 and Tucker an unbeaten 44.

Tucker also added 61 for the eighth wicket with Isaiah Greaves (16) to keep the pressure on Cuts, who leaked 69 extras, including a staggering 55 wides.

Wade was delighted to see his team score more than 300 runs for the second straight match.

“They are playing as a batting unit and that’s what I have been asking for from the beginning of the season,” Wade said.

“Put partnerships together, bat the 50 overs out and two or three guys come big. First couple of games of the season we were not doing that but now it’s starting to click and it’s very good. I am very proud of them.

“We just have to work on our bowling. Our bowling unit has to improve but it will come.”

Chakote Basden led the Cuts bowling with three for 62 while Sheldon Ceasar (two for 97) and Kevon Fubler (two for 56) claimed two wickets each.

Cuts came up well short in reply after being dismissed for 127 in 25.4 overs with Douglas again leading Cleveland’s charge in the field, where he claimed four for 14 from just 6.4 overs. Those figures included one maiden with his off breaks, while he also grabbed two catches in the slips to cap a brilliant all-round display.

“Allan came back with the ball and bowled very tidy hitting his lines and lengths and got rewarded,” Wade said. “He also took two good catches so it was a good all-round performance.”

Assisting Douglas in the bowling were fellow spinners Greaves (three for 28) and Dion Stovell (two for 20), who bagged five wickets between them.

Fubler topped the Cuts batting with 37, opener Ras Solomon Burrows added 20 while Kyle Brangman (14), Caesar (14) and Basden (11) were the only others in double figures.