Jordan DeSilva is on a roll. The Somerset captain has struck back-to-back centuries in his first two innings of the season in Open League clashes against Western Stars (108) and Bailey’s Bay (124) — and has no intention of letting up.

“I said I would use [open cricket] as a warm-up to get myself into form ahead of the start of the 50-over season,” DeSilva said. “I’m just looking to get a knock and with open cricket you don’t have to worry about scoring fast.”

The experienced all-rounder is making the most of batting higher in the order than normally.

“Right now, I am batting at No 4 and have taken advantage of the first two opportunities thus far,” he said. “But we still have about two or three guys to come back into the team from school and one opens and the other bats four so I might drop down to No 5.”

There was a slice of luck to DeSilva’s knock against Bay, as he was dropped at mid-on before getting off the mark.

“Even though I got dropped on nought after that I felt I played a pretty good innings and it wasn’t easy to score on that wicket against good bowling,” he said.

“I also got dropped when I made a hundred down there last season so it’s been two years in a row now that I have got dropped and went on to make a hundred.”

As for his century against Stars the previous weekend at Somerset, DeSilva added: “The one against Stars was definitely one where I was on top of the bowling for mainly the whole innings which is why I was so upset when I got out. Anybody that who saw me get out probably thought I got a duck because I felt that I was that in.”

DeSilva shared in a 186- run fourth-wicket partnership against Stars with fellow centurion Dalin Richardson that rescued the home side from 38 for three. The 17-year-old Richardson scored an unbeaten 100 on his debut for Somerset against his former club Stars.

“He really played a good innings and we almost had a double century partnership,” DeSilva said. “I was happy for Dalin because his family and mine are really close. I have seen him grow up and seen him when he was at Rangers and Stars and I was so happy when he came to us because I know he’s a decent player.”

DeSilva has embraced the reintroduction of open cricket, to be played over the first five weeks of the 2018 season, that he believes bodes well for the development of his club’s promising crop of youngsters.

“We have Tai Cariah is only 14 years old batting at No 3 and although he only scored about 12 or 13 against Bay he batted over an hour and he can get used that,” DeSilva said. “He is also actually our leading wicket-taker with five wickets.

“Then we have Dalin who is 17 and got a hundred in his first game for us against Stars so I would say that open cricket is definitely helping our youngsters to develop.

“We have a good group of youngsters and senior players like myself, Marcus Johnson and Greg Maybury up here and all we ask is guys put in the hard work and see where it takes us. We are just looking to stay together and do the best we can.”