Hard work and commitment appears to be paying off for experienced Southampton Rangers cricketers Vernon Eve and Kevin Tucker.

Eve and Tucker turned back the clock at the weekend, bagging 15 wickets between in Rangers’ convincing Western Counties and Premier Division victories over Willow Cuts and Somerset Cricket Club.

The pair claimed nine wickets between them in Rangers’ six-wicket demolition of Cuts with Eve, the left-arm slow bowler, claiming five for 17, and seam bowler Tucker four for 13.

The pair then bagged six wickets between them in their team’s seven-wicket triumph against Somerset in the league the next day, with Eve claiming three for 33 and Tucker three for 34.

Both players are in the twilight of their careers but have demonstrated they still have plenty left in the tank.

So what has been the key to their success?

“It’s about putting in the hard work and if you put the hard work in your rewards will be manifested, it’s as simple as that,” Eve said. “It’s all about commitment and I’m in great shape really.”

Tucker, 38, is also benefiting from the hard work he has put into his game.

“The coach [Ricky Brangman] has got me training harder and being more focused,” he said. “I’m a lot fitter this season and for my age I think I’m doing pretty good.

“The older I get I know my body can’t do certain things so I have to stay fit and it’s paying off.”

Eve, the elder of the two bowlers at 48, is enjoying a new lease on his career at Rangers since joining from Flatts Victoria Club several seasons ago.

“I love Rangers,” he said. “It’s a good crop of guys here and they help me along.

“It’s a big team effort around here and I’m still enjoying my game, especially since I moved to Rangers, where I’ve accomplished a lot of things.

“I took the most wickets last season and I’m just hanging in to see if I can do it again.”

Tucker, who joined the club from PHC several seasons ago, is also enjoying his cricket these days.

“I haven’t bowled like this for quite a while and I think I have two or three seasons left in me,” he said.

“My performance against Cuts was pretty good. The wicket assisted my bowling and my fielders did their job holding onto my catches.

“It was a different type of wicket against Somerset so I had to bowl stump to stump and came out clean.

“It was a good performance. I was getting a lot of bounce and guys don’t like short-pitched bowling.”

Eve said that he and Tucker always challenge each other to reach new heights.

“Tuck is my mate and we have a friendly rivalry between us,” Eve said. “It’s really just something that’s within the team that’s good for us as it make us stronger.

“It makes him push harder and makes me push harder as well, so it’s a good thing and I’m happy for him that he’s finally reaping his rewards.”

As for his own performance at the weekend, Eve added: “In my first couple of overs against Cuts I struggled to find lines but that’s normal for me really. After that I’m pretty good.

“Against Somerset I really struggled to find my lines. I don’t know if it was the two days of cricket or whatever but I struggled a bit.

“But when things are not going right you just have to hang in there and knuckle down and fight past all that in order to reap your rewards. If you can do that then you will be successful.”