Players and coaches of the competing teams for the final Belco Cup expressed disappointment at the loss of the sponsorship of the popular tournament.

Ryan Belboda, of Southampton Rangers, urged players to consider the way they conduct themselves on the field so as to attract more sponsors to the game.

Belboda, at 52 one of the oldest players in the league, said players’s behaviour was important in order to build a positive image for the sport. The loss of the Belco Cup comes after Lindo’s withdrew their sponsorship of the Twenty20 Tournament last season.

“If players are leading by example then more sponsors will come on board,” said Belboda, who will captain Rangers today in their Twenty20 match against Cleveland in the absence of Janeiro Tucker, who is off the island. Belboda has also been assisting with the coaching at Rangers while Ricky Brangman, the coach, recovers from illness.

“With the way the game has been going these last few years with behaviour, I’m all in agreement with the umpires dealing with the situations, and the clubs standing firm on players when it comes to bad behaviour,” Belboda said.

“I don’t condone it, we have young players coming up and they see these types of things and end up doing the same things when they get older. I’m just hoping that clubs hold players accountable for their actions, making sure we stick to the code of conduct and uphold the image of the game.”

Belboda was sad yesterday to hear of Belco’s decision to cease its relationship with the game, but hopes other companies will come forward to support cricket.

“I just hope sponsors do come on board because that’s the only way cricket is going to progress,” he said.

“Without the commitment of sponsors it’s going to be very hard. I am very sad to see Belco go, they’ve been committed over the past 14 years and have done a great job. It’s so sad that they are leaving, but hopefully someone else will come on board to assist this event and keep it going.”

Rangers have a special attachment to the Belco Cup, having won it nine times after appearing in ten Belco Cup finals and once, in 2000, when it was the Camel Cup. All Southampton’s wins have been in the Belco Cup and they will be looking for a tenth success in its final year.

“Our chances are as good as anyone’s, we’re playing as a team and that’s the only way you can win it,” Belboda said. “It’s not one person or two people but a team of thirteen, including the reserves, so our chance is just as good as anybody else.

“I played in the first Belco final in 2003 and when we won it the seventh time they gave us the trophy to keep.”

The other three teams in the competition, Bailey’s Bay, St David’s and Cleveland, will all be keen to get their names on the trophy.

“On behalf of Bailey’s Bay I would like to thanks Belco for sponsoring this cup for the last 14 years,” Irving Romaine, the Bay coach, said. “Bailey’s Bay always strive to be the best and obviously we were looking forward to trying to win every cup this year, so hopefully this fourteenth year will be Bailey’s Bay’s year.”

Dennis Musson, the Cleveland captain, said his side were just as motivated to win the cup as their competitors, and predicted a surprise or two in the coming weeks.

“We have a well balanced team and our team seems to be motivated by the loss of a couple of players,” he said.

Rangers beat St David’s by three wickets in last year’s final to extend their record to nine wins. Their only loss in the Belco Cup final came in 2010 when PHC recorded a shock 13-run victory. St David’s were the 2014 winners and Bailey’s Bay the winners in 2012.