Somerset 143 Albert Steede made a triumphant return to form, leading Western Stars into the Knockout Cup final on the tails of a 204-run rout of Somerset at Southampton Oval yesterday.

However, who -- whether it will be anyone at all -- Stars will face in the said final, scheduled for next week, remained a mystery as the other semi between Southampton Rangers and Bailey's Bay at Wellington Oval was abandoned.

Stars made Somerset rue the decision to send them in.

Ending a poor run of form stretching back to Cup Match, Steede made up for lost time with a splendid 118, mixing patience and aggression, hitting 11 fours and three sixes in a 147-ball knock.

He and Jermaine Postlethwaite knocked the stuffing out of the west enders with a 153-run second wicket partnership, the latter dominating affairs in amassing a fluent 73 from 70 balls, while Steede adopted a support role. Steede picked up the pace following the departure of Postlethwaite, while he and Ricky Brangman added 72 for the third wicket. The opener finally fell at 279, leaving Stars in good stead.

Arnold Manders then took on the lead role, bashing 53 from a mere 23 balls, including 10 fours and a six.

Leon Place topped the bowling stats with three-for-67, while Wendell White had two-for-31.

Somerset were never in the hunt with an asking rate of 7.89 runs per over. And once wickets began falling the end result was a foregone conclusion.

Place stood defiant in the face of extreme odds, battling his way to 71.

At St. George's Cricket Club an apparent failure to properly cover the wicket resulted in it being saturated by overnight rains.

Play was attempted, with Bailey's Bay batting against Southampton Rangers, but after a display of dangerously unpredictable bounce, it was decided by umpires George Francis and Lester Harnett to call off the affair.