Dion Stovell produced a solid all-round display to guide One Premier Division leaders Southampton Rangers to a seven-wicket win over Somerset at Southampton Oval yesterday.

In a match reduced to 30 overs because of rain, the Rangers captain claimed three wickets with his off spin as Somerset were restricted to 129 for seven and then led the chase with an unbeaten half-century as the home side replied with 130 for three in 26.1 overs.

“It’s always good to get runs and wickets and as the skipper of the team I just try and lead from the front,” Stovell said.

Somerset were 82 for two with eight overs remaining in their innings after being sent into bat when Stovell brought himself back into the attack and ignited a collapse that saw four wickets tumble in as many overs for 25 runs. He bowled Solomon Burrows and Joshua Gilbert, and had Greg Maybury caught at slip as the visiting side slipped to 107 for six.

“I thought our youngsters [Mills and Trott] bowled in the right areas and then Janeiro [Tucker], Monty [Lamont Brangman] and myself pegged them back.”

DeSilva scored an unbeaten 45 from 30 balls while Burrows hit 31 and featured in his team’s highest partnership of 49 for the second wicket with Alje Richardson. Rangers got their chase off to a horrendous start as they lost openers Malachi Jones and Shannon Rayner both cheaply, with Maybury claiming both wickets.

At four for two, Rangers were in need of a partnership and Tre Manders and Stovell answered the call as they produced 70 for the third wicket.

The partnership was broken in the sixteenth over when Manders pulled Gilbert and was held by Micah Simons at deep mid-wicket. Manders scored 29.

Somerset’s joy would be short-lived, though, as Stovell and fellow all-rounder Charles Trott produced an unbroken 56 run partnership to carry Rangers across the line with 23 balls to spare, the winning run arriving via a Dalin Richardson no-ball.

Stovell finished unbeaten with 62 from 75 balls. He stroked six fours and a six and reached his half-century off 68 balls in 83 minutes. Trott hit an unbeaten 24.

“It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on after all the weather,” Stovell said. “You had to sit up and bat and focus on the task at hand.

“The wicket was wet and slow and you just had to show a bit of patience.”

Maybury finished with two for 20.