St. George's colt Justin Pitcher has described his memorable Cup Match debut at Wellington Oval as the toughest match of his career.

The 22-year-old all-rounder showcased his credentials as a 'big-game' player by hitting a sparkling half-century in St. George's' first innings and also claimed four wickets during the thrill-packed annual classic.

Pitcher, a reserve in last year's match, had been in a race against the clock to regain match fitness ahead of Cup Match having suffered a side strain while playing for St. David's.

And he admits the intense two days of challenging cricket left him both mentally and physically drained.

"It felt real good to represent St. George's this year," said the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) High Performance Player.

"This was the hardest game I've ever played in, two days of cricket with no breaks besides the mandatory stoppages. Between innings you got 10 minutes, and it didn't really allow you time to relax and refocus – you had to go right back out there.

"It took a lot out of me as it was my first game in a month as I've been nursing an injury. It took me a little while to find my form, so I had to work extra hard to find my line and length."

Pitcher showed plenty of backbone when he strolled to the crease with St. George's in some trouble at 92 for eight and proceeded to steady the ship by scoring 51 priceless runs. Along with Rodney Trott (23), Pitcher put on 70 runs for the ninth wicket to drag the West Enders away from danger.

With the ball, he returned figures of four for 68 off 15.4 overs, claiming three for 16 in the first innings.

"The enormity of the innings I played on the first day left me feeling like I scored a century – it felt real good," said Pitcher, whose brother Arthur made three Cup Match appearances for St. George's before retiring to devote more time to competitive cycling.

"I came into bat with the side in trouble and I only wanted to play my game. I wasn't shy or nervous and just did what came naturally.

"It was a real bonus to come into a squad containing so many of your club team-mates.

"It's almost like a family and it was good to be out there with friends representing your team in the Island's biggest holiday."

Although Pitcher has only just returned from a spell on the sidelines, his eye-catching performances for both St. David's and St. George's this season will have put him in contention for Bermuda's upcoming matches against Uganda.

"I'm not really looking to get that far into the talk about international cricket right now," said Pitcher. "I will see how that works out when it comes around and see if I'm up for it."