Malachi: Deunte had a superb innings

Malachi Jones isn’t complaining about his Cup Match snub.

The often-perceived cricket bad boy has shown maturity in praising Somerset team-mate Deunte Darrell for his MVP performance in this year’s Cup Match.

Despite notching a maiden half-century (57) and claiming four wickets during a venomous spell with the second new ball, Jones was overlooked for the coveted award which went instead to Darrell for the teenager’s attractive knock of 72.

Yet rather than lament over what might’ve been, Jones has risen above it all and paid homage to Darrell’s milestone in the classic.

He said: “It’s nice to see a youngster win the award. It was a superb innings. I felt that I had a chance of winning it, but then I guess the umpires have their reasons for not choosing me.”

When asked did he think his over the top celebrations after dismissing St. George’s Jason Anderson may have cost him the award, Jones replied: “Most definitely…that’s what they said.” 

That Somerset placed themselves in a position to push for victory owed in no small part to the fine all-round heroics of Jones.

The lower order batsman’s belligerent innings enabled Somerset to declare just before tea on the first day to give the challengers just over a session’s play to try and make inroads in St. George’s batting order.

He said: “When I’m batting I just like to have fun, no matter what form of the game I am playing. I normally play my natural controlled aggressive game.”

Jones then snared four wickets during a fiery spell of fast bowling on a rain shortened second day that triggered a massive collapse which saw St. George’s remaining seven batsmen fall in the space of 88 runs.

It was a miserly display of bowling that revived Somerset’s hopes of a first Cup Match win in eight years.

When asked what inspired him, Jones replied: “I guess it was a good night’s rest, that’s about it. I knew that the rain was coming and so I gave it all I had to contribute to the team in some way. The pitch didn’t give me as much assistance as I would’ve like, but I made the most out of it.”

Weather helped

Jones reckons the atmospheric conditions also worked in his favour, stressing: “Normally in Bermuda the ball doesn’t move that much for me in the air.”

The Willow Cuts all-rounder doesn’t doubt that Somerset could have won the match had the weather not taken a turn for the worst on the second day.

He said: “I think we had a good chance of winning. Even though it rained the first day I think if the second day would have been clear we still had a good chance of winning. If it hadn’t rained I think we would’ve batted and got a quick 180 runs and declared and tried to knock St. George’s down.”

With St. George’s playing without injured stars George O’Brien jr, Stefan Kelly and Gregg Foggo, Jones realizes he and his team–mates missed a golden opportunity to seize the showpiece on home turf.

He added: “It’s always disappointing to lose time due to the weather because of the fact we do not have the trophy. We felt it was very important to play the entire game being St. George’s came Somerset with that weak team.

“But everything happens for a reason and we did not let the weather bother us too much because there is always next year.”