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

Southampton Rangers made it two wins out of two after dismissing Cleveland for just 156 in 44.2 overs yesterday, before Ian Armstrong and Ricardo Brangman led the run chase with 40 and 37 respectively

The pair shared in a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 73 between the 15th and 23rd overs, taking the score from 65 to 138 when Brangman was caught at long-off by Clay Darrell. He hit two sixes and four fours in his short time at the crease, before Armstrong and Rohaan Simons carried the team to victory in just 27.2 overs.

Armstrong also hit two sixes and four fours in his 40 not out while Simons added 17 not out. Mackai Young, who kept Cleveland in the game when he removed Dean Stephens for 26 in the 15th over to make it 65 for three, had an expensive third over, giving up 20 runs to finish with one for 43 off those three overs.

Cleveland, missing Damali Bell, Jelani Richardson and spinner Isaiah Creighton, lacked the bowling depth to trouble the Rangers batsmen, although they had a good start when Alex Dore was run out by a good piece of fielding at cover point from youngster Q’Shai Darrell in the first over. Curtis Jackson, the other opener, was second out with only 29 runs on the board.

No 3 batsman Kwame Tucker then retired hurt before cousins Stephens and Brangman carried Rangers to 65 by the 15th over before Stephens was caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Treadwell Gibbons. He hit six fours in his 26.

Earlier Stephens, sharing the new ball with Kevin Tucker, led the bowling for Rangers with four for 31 off nine overs as Cleveland slumped from 120 for three. Treadwell Gibbons, opening with Adrian Burrows, was high man with 59 off six fours and two sixes while Temiko Wilson, batting at No 5, scored 40. Both players were late transfers from Western Stars.

Burrows, with 13, was the only other Cleveland batsman in double figures as Dante Wellman claimed two wickets in the middle order, Clay Darrell and Bryce Daniels, to start slump in the last 15 overs. Wellman finished with two for 41 off ten overs as Stephens returned to claim his fourth wicket of the match when he bowled captain Dennis Musson.