play late on the second day and in the end his decision to bat for two hours in the morning session proved decisive in the drawn Cup Match Classic.

By the time Fox declared at 12.11 yesterday his team, thanks to Dean Minors' squashbuckling 83 from 39 balls, had built a comfortable 191 run lead to set the stage for an interesting final session in the afternoon.

Fox thought the total was enable his bowlers to put pressure on the Somerset batsman but the wicket was not as responsive as on the first day and the challengers ended up holding out for an easy draw with four wickets still intact at the close and an overall lead of 125.

"I expected the wicket would turn a little bit more and that's why I batted on and tried to get a big lead of 200,'' Fox explained afterwards. "But when Minors got out we figures it was enough and we would put a lot of pressure on them because the wicket would turn but it never really turned as much as we anticipated and ended up being a really good batting wicket. All credit to Somerset and their batsmen for keeping control of the situation and not letting us get on top of the game.'' After Ricky Hill hooked the first delivery from Kenny Phillips for four Somerset, having won the toss and deciding to bat first, looked in the mood for an upset. However, Hill and Olin Jones didn't score their next run until the last ball of Phillips' third over when Hill hit him to square leg for another four. Before that Lionel Cann bowled maidens in his first two overs in Cup Match.

Hill dominated the 39-minute stand which produced 33 runs, scoring all 20 of his runs in boundary fours before driving and getting an outside edge for Cann to take his first Cup Match wicket in his sixth over.

Dexter Basden survived a confident first ball lbw appeal before adding 29 for the second wicket with Jones. Spinner David Adams, introduced at the western end soon after the first water break, following Cann's first spell of one for 16 from nine overs, got the ball to turn immediately and it wasn't long before he removed Basden. Cann also had a hand in that wicket, taking a confident catch at long off after Basden went for the big hit.

Adams was pumped up after that first wicket and had Somerset on the rack with two more quick wickets to make the score 82 for four, first bowling Steede behind his leg with a delivery that turned back from outside the leg stump, and then beating Olin Jones with the top-spinner which straightened up. Jones had scored a fine 36.

Former captain Andre Manders and Richard Basden set about repairing the damage before a bizarre run out broke that 21-run stand. Basden swept a delivery from Adams down to long leg as Noel Gibbons set off from slip towards the club to retrieve the ball.

He reached it inches inside the rope and touched the dressing room wall before turning and sending in a wayward return as Basden and Manders crossed for the fourth run. They stopped, thinking for sure that umpire George Francis was going to signal for four, and when Clay Smith spotted Basden in mid-crease he ran the ball to the wicket and broke the wicket.

Somerset's biggest stand came after that as Western Stars teammates Manders and Jeff Richardson added 75 for the sixth wicket in taking the score to 178 when Manders was trapped lbw by Eugene Foggo for 22. Richardson followed just four runs later when, going for his 50, he drove an Adams delivery straight to Gibbons at cover point to finish on 47.

Captain Perry Maybury hit two sixes and two fours in his 28 and Anthony Manders scored 15 in his first Cup Match innings before Somerset declared on 207 at the fall of their ninth wicket at 2.40.

Adams, bowling 23 overs unchanged, finished with four for 62 while Arnold Manders claimed two for 20 from 3.3 overs.

The match hung in the balance after that as St. George's replied with 205 for four at the close with colt Dexter Smith and Manders having given the champions a good start with 88 for the first wicket in just 76 minutes.

Manders, chasing a record three centuries in Cup Match, looked well set to achieve that feat as the Somerset bowlers rarely troubled. However, younger brother Anthony spoiled all of that with a brilliant leg-side stumping off Richard Basden to leave Arnold on 55 from six fours and two sixes.

Smith was to follow him soon after when he drove at Basden and got an outside edge for Albert Steede to take a good catch at gully to dismiss him for 35 which came in 96 minutes from four fours and a six.

The top of the St. George's order all made valuable contributions with Clay Smith contributing 43, Charlie Marshall 52 and Cann, promoted to number five to boost the scoring, hitting three sixes and three fours in an innings that flourished on the morning of the second day as he and Fox put on 69 for the fifth wicket.

Dean Minors brought some delight to the crowd as St. George's chased a declaration, smashing 10 sixes and three fours in a blistering knock of 83 off just 39 balls in 63 minutes. He was particularly harsh on Richard Basden who gave up 25 in his 19th and final over from four sixes and a single.

However, Basden was Somerset's best bowler, taking five for 107.

It was soon after lunch yesterday that the chances of a result began to fade as Hill and Jones added 79 for the first wicket before departing in the space of seven deliveries to spinners Manders and Adams for 40 and 38 respectivey.

Dexter Basden and Albert Steede stayed together from 2.21 to 4.21 in added 98 runs for the third wicket, by which time a draw had become the obvious result.

Basden went on to stroke a fine 70 from three fours and five sixes while Steede hit 34. Jeff Richardson later helped himself to his first 50 in Cup Match in the closing overs of the match, scoring 55 not out, while Anthony Manders hit 55 on his debut in a stand of 109 for the sixth wicket.

That innings ended on the last ball of the match when Manders was caught by substitute Cleon Scotland off Charlie Marshall, having batted for 81 minutes.

CUP MATCH SCOREBOARD Somerset first innings R.Hill c wk Minors b Cann 20 O.Jones b Adams 36 D.Basden c Cann b Adams 14 A.Steede b Adams 7 And.Manders lbw b Foggo 22 R.Basden run out 7 J.Richardson c Gibbons b Adams 47 P.Maybury c Gibbons b Arn.Manders 28 Ant.Manders c C.Smith b Arn.Manders 15 A.Brangman not out 2 Extras (2-b, 4-lb, 2-w, 1-nb) 9 Total (for nine declared) 207 Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-62, 3-80, 4-82, 5-103, 6-178, 7-182, 8-196, 9-207.

Bowling: K.Phillips 7-1-30-0; L.Cann 9-3-16-1; N.Gibbons 9-0-26-0; D.Adams 23-3-62-4; C.Smith 5-1-26-0; E.Foggo 8-2-21-1; Arn.Manders 3.3-0-20-2.

St. George's first innings D.Basden c Steede b R.Basden 35 Arn.Manders st wk And.Manders b Basden 55 C.Smith c Jones b Brangman 43 C.Marshall c D.Basden b R.Basden 52 L.Cann c Steede b R.Basden 44 G.Fox c And.Manders b Richardson 25 N.Gibbons lbw b Basden 25 D.Minors c and b Hill 83 K.Phillips not out 25 Extras (1-b, 6-lb, 4-w, 3-nb) 14 Total (for eight declared) 398 Fall of wickets: 1-88; 2-97, 3-195, 4-195, 5-264, 6-277, 7-316, 8-398.

Bowling: A.Brangman 20-2-84-1; P.Maybury 12-2-77-0; W.Richardson 13-2-62-1; O.Jones 8-1-40-0; R.Basden 19-3-107-5; And.Manders 2-0-9-0.

Somerset second innings R.Hill c Cann b Adams 38 O.Jones b Arn.Manders 40 D.Basden lbw b Cann 70 A.Steede b Gibbons 34 And.Manders lbw b Phillips 15 R.Basden retired hurt 3 J.Richardson not out 55 Ant.Manders c Scotland b Marshall 55 Extras (6-lb, 1-w) 7 Total (for six wickets) 316 Fall of wickets: 1-79, 2-79, 3-177, 4-185, 5-207, 6-316.

Bowling: K.Phillips 7-2-32-1; L.Cann 6-3-37-1; D.Adams 14-1-58-1; E.Foggo 10-0-52-0; C.Smith 6-0-29-0; N.Gibbons 4-1-26-1; C.Marshall 1-0-10-1.

Umpires: George Francis, Wilbur Pitcher.

Result: Match drawn.

WHACK -- Dean Minors hammered the Somerset bowlers for a dashing 83 yesterday at Wellington Oval.