Southampton Rangers maintained their unbeaten start to the season at Southampton Oval yesterday but not before surviving a scare against Somerset.

The visitors put up a brave fight defending a low total, but ultimately came up short as Rangers got useful contributions throughout the order.

Things might have been different for Somerset had they taken a few half chances in the field and confident appeals for lbw’s and catches in the slips gone their way.

However, defending 138 on a small field against a team that bats deep was always going to be a tall order, and in the end Rangers did enough to get across the line with 86 balls to spare as a middle order collapse in the first innings came back to haunt the visitors.

Derrick Brangman, the Rangers all rounder and son of coach Ricky Brangman, ended the game with a towering six off Greg Maybury, the Somerset seamer, over long on to bring up his half century in 87 minutes off 68 balls.

Brangman struck four fours and as many sixes and proved to be the glue that held Rangers’ innings together after the hosts had slipped to 87 for five in the 28th over with Somerset moving in for the kill.

The middle order batsman came to the crease with his team wobbling at 45 for four and alongside Janeiro Tucker, the Rangers captain, added 42 runs to keep the hosts on track.

The burgeoning partnership was eventually broken when Marcus Johnson, the Somerset off spinner, had Tucker caught behind by Jekon Edness for 21 with his first ball.

However, some late fireworks from Brangman and Shannon Rayner brought Rangers to the brink of victory.

Earlier, Kwame Tucker, the Rangers wicketkeeper, thumped 32 from 33 balls at the top of the order to get the his team’s run chase off to a flyer before some tight bowling by spinners Joshua Gilbert and Justin Corday and seamer Jordan DeSilva forced the hosts on to the back foot.

Gilbert was virtually unplayable with the new ball, tossing down three consecutive maidens and picking up a wicket in his first three overs.

Gilbert gave up only seven runs in his opening seven over spell, but by the time he was brought back into the attack in the 34th over for a second spell the damage had already been done. Gilbert was the pick of the Somerset bowling with two for 13 while DeSilva took two for 19.

Edness, the Somerset captain and wicketkeeper, held four catches to cap a fine outing behind the stumps.

Somerset’s decision to bat first on a good track backfired as they were mowed down for a paltry total.

With Jenhai Bean in full flow with the bat, the visitors got off to a decent start.

Bean added 42 for the first wicket with Pierre Smith and a further 36 for the second with Gilbert as the visitors threatened to post a big total.

However, once Bean departed in the 26th over, stumped by Kwame Tucker off the bowling of Brangman, Somerset’s innings came off the rails as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as the hosts’ spinners exploited a turning wicket.

Somerset slipped from 78 for two to 138 all out in 15.2 overs, their last seven wickets falling for 60 runs.

Bean led the resistance with a well-played 51 from 83 balls. He belted five fours and reached his half century off 78 balls in 91 minutes.

Gilbert, who gathered 16 from 46, Edness 18 from 37 and James ten from eight were the only Somerset batsmen in double figures.

Vernon Eve, the left arm spinner, led the Rangers attack with three for 28 while fellow left arm spinner Brangman and off spinner Dion Stovell took two apiece.