Southampton Oval (Southampton won toss): Southampton beat Cleveland by eight wickets

James Celestine hammered a swashbuckling half-century while Ryan Belboda and Dion Stovell claimed six wickets between them to lead Southampton Rangers to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Cleveland County at Southampton Oval yesterday.

Belboda ripped the heart out of Cleveland’s top order as the visiting side were quickly reduced to 21 for three in the twelfth over after being sent in to bat on a track possessing few demons. The veteran seam bowler was virtually unplayable, claiming three for 38 from nine overs.

Stovell, the fourth-change bowler, then tightened the screws after Belboda was taken off the ball, claiming three wickets for ten runs with his off breaks, including the prized wicket of Allan Douglas Jr, the Cleveland captain.

Douglas led his team’s resistance with a boundary-filled 59 from 50 balls that included five sixes and three fours. Steven Douglas Jr scored 32 from 44 balls in a knock that contained four fours and a six.

Tailender Jelani Richardson was the only other Cleveland batsman in doubles figures, stroking 14 at No 10 before he was bowled by Stovell, who went from defender to tormentor for Cleveland in the space of 24 hours in the wake of his polished century in the Eastern Counties Cup.

Vernon Eve, the left-arm spinner, also held his end of the bargain, claiming two for 15 before Cleveland folded in the 38th over for a paltry total.

Openers Derrick Brangman and Ian Armstrong added 51 runs for the first wicket to get Rangers off to a solid start.

Armstrong dominated the stand, banging six fours in an aggressive knock of 32 from as many balls before he went for one big hit too many and was bowled by Shaki Darrell’s change of pace while attempting to clear the boundary ropes.

Brangman added 35 runs for the second wicket with Celestine before he was caught by Dennis Musson on the long-on boundary for 26 off the bowling of Allan Douglas. Brangman thumped three fours and faced 35 balls.

After playing himself in, Celestine shifted gears and unleashed a vicious assault on the Cleveland bowlers.

The Grenadian struck the ball ferociously and anything short or overpitched was dispatched with total disdain.

Darrell and Makai McGowan bore the brunt of Celestine’s fury, going for 17 and 19 runs in respective overs as the hard-hitting batsman cut loose.

Celestine faced only 31 balls for his fifty, which arrived in the sixteenth over with a six off McGowan that sailed over the clubhouse.

The batsman then put Cleveland out of their misery with a massive six over long-on off Allan Douglas to end the game with a bang.

Celestine’s 66-ball innings contained six sixes and as many fours and, along with Stovell, he added 48 runs in an unbroken third-wicket partnership that carried the home side across the line with 33.3 overs to spare.

Douglas took one for 25 and Darrell one for 39 in a losing cause for Cleveland.