Southampton Oval (Bailey’s Bay won toss): Southampton Rangers beat Bailey’s Bay by five wickets

Janeiro Tucker and Dion Stovell completed half-centuries in a century partnership for the fourth wicket as Southampton Rangers sealed a comfortable victory yesterday.

The present and past captains for Rangers came together at 44 for three after Bay fought back in the wake of posting 174. Sinclair Smith, their wicketkeeper, had a hand in all three dismissals, catching Chris Pitcher for one in the fourth over, then stumping Alex Dore for a duck and Derrick Brangman for 24 in the seventh and fourteenth overs to give the visiting side early hope.

However, Bay had to wait more than two hours for their next wicket, by which time Tucker and Stovell had put on 121 to take Rangers to the brink of victory. Both brought up their fifties and the century stand in the same Delray Rawlins over, as Bay struggled to break the partnership. Tucker batted himself into form in time for Cup Match with 67 not out off 56 balls, with nine fours and a six, while Stovell continued where he left off the day before when he made 82 not out for Cleveland in the Eastern Counties Cup against St David’s. The right-hander’s 80-ball 56 contained five fours.

With defeat inevitable, Bay gave the ball to rarely-used bowlers Terry Fray, Tre Manders and Tre Govia — the latter two whose careers began as promising spin bowlers before shoulder injuries forced them to concentrate more on batting. Manders broke the partnership by having Stovell caught off a pull shot from a short ball and then, in that same wicket maiden first over, Kwame Tucker was caught at extra cover by Stephen Outerbridge, the captain.

Manders finished with two for five from two overs while Lateef Trott, Rodney Trott and Delray Rawlins claimed one wicket each. Cup Match pair Lateef Trott and Rodney Trott gave up 32 and 24 from their spells of nine and eight overs respectively, while Rawlins went for 42 off nine, although he had Brangman dismissed with a ball that drew him out of his crease for Smith’s second stumping.

Earlier, Rawlins scored 34 after opening the innings with Terryn Fray, while captain Outerbridge led the batting with 45 from 41 balls, with five fours and two sixes. Govia scored 20 not out as Bay tried to recover from 138 for eight.

Brangman had outstanding figures of three for 18 from ten overs, while Stovell took two for 26 and Vernon Eve two for 48.