In what may be remembered as “The West End Massacre”, Somerset laid waste to St George’s, performing what had appeared impossible before Thursday morning.
Overcoming wind, train delays, and not too few off-field issues that dramatically delayed play, the champions emphasised their superiority with a stunning innings defeat.
However, while Somerset were clearly superior, St George’s could only blame themselves: their inept, reckless approach and inability to adapt to long-form contributed to consecutive batting collapses.
Just as had occurred in the morning, when a solid start made way for tragic destruction by the home team’s spin attack led by Dion Stovell and Derrick Brangman, the afternoon sessions proved just as catastrophic.
Only Isaiah O’Brien (64), Nzari Paynter (35) and Jonte Smith possessed the mettle to resist the Somerset juggernaut, as all others crumbled under the twin terror combination of Stovell and Brangman.
Despite losing Onias Bascome for 12, with the total just 29, the East Enders had recovered well heading towards tea, with O’Brien scoring a maiden half-century. At the same time, opener Paynter was resolute in ensuring against another calamity.
At tea St George’s were 100 for one, with O’Brien the lead actor on 57 not out, while Paynter held firm on 28.
Somerset’s attack was noticeably less intense, perhaps weary from their pre-lunch exploits, perhaps confident _ understandably _ in their likelihood of keeping the cup. However, such was but a façade, as the final session revealed.
Once O’Brien went at 111, ending an 82-run partnership, the bottom fell out for St George’s.
From 111, coach Clay Smith’s troops crumbled to 149 for nine, with Delray Rawlins (0), Macai Simmons (2), Luke Horan (1), Sinclair Smith (1) and Kevon Fubler key among the casualty list.
Stovell and Brangman, takers of eight total wickets in the first innings, combined for six of the first nine to fall during the second.
Meanwhile, Jonte Smith (36 not out) stood as the chief stumbling block to Somerset reaching the pinnacle, and for a while it appeared he and last man Zeko Burgess might survive.
However, one misjudged swipe at a Brangman full-toss left Burgess stumps parted and St George’s buried beneath the rubble of another Somerset explosion, an innings and 90-run humbling.
Brangman ended with eight wickets for the match, his second wicket haul a stellar four for 50.
Stovell, making his farewell along with Malachi Jones, ended as the unquestioned Man of the Match based on a half-century while batting and match figures of seven for 67.
Others taking wickets for the victors in the second innings were Kamau Leverock, Malachi Jones and Jermal Proctor, each of whom took one wicket apiece.
For Jones, who top-scored in the match with 79 not out, the occasion was also fitting.
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