Southampton Oval (Bailey’s Bay won toss):Bay beat Rangers by forfeit

Bailey’s Bay completed the double over Southampton Rangers yesterday at Southampton Oval when the home team declined to resume playing after an extended rain stoppage with Bay at 40 for two in reply to 83.

The umpires repeatedly attempted to get Rangers to return to play, having ruled the ground fit, but they refused.

At that time, the target remained the same at 84 from 37 overs, with Bay needing to bat 13 more overs so the match could be official with average run rate possibly used to determine the winner.

However, Rangers’ stance was that it was raining.

When they were prepared to play, further calculations were needed for the remaining overs, and as such the target would have been reduced.

With 13 overs left with play to resume at 6.15pm, the umpires calculated that Bay would have needed five more runs. On learning this, Rangers, who were on the pitch, conceded the match.

Had Rangers agreed to resume playing at about 4.50pm, Bay’s target would have been 44 more needed from a minimum 13 overs. It proved to be a good toss to win, Bay not hesitating to send a weakened Rangers side in on a wicket that was still damp from earlier weekend rain.

Michael Agard, a Bajan off-spinner, led the Bay bowling with five wickets for five runs from five overs – all bowled – as Rangers were dismissed for just 80 in 22 overs.

Captain Dion Stovell was high man with 29 at the top of the order, but there was little contribution down the order after player-coach Janeiro Tucker was bowled by Macquille Walker for two to make it 59 for five.

Opening pair Kyle Hodsoll and Jordan Burgess did the early damage for Bay, taking two wickets each, with Hodsoll giving up 20 runs in seven overs and Burgess 39 in six. Burgess claimed the key wicket of Stovell, bowled after facing 37 balls and hitting three fours and a six.

In reply, Bay scored 40 for two in seven overs in a reduced target, with Coolidge Durham 14 not out and captain Terryn Fray 11 not out. Stovell took two for ten from three overs after sharing the new ball with Nirobi Mills.

• The central Counties is set to meet this week to discuss rescheduling the final between Western Stars and North Village which was rained out on Saturday at Devonshire Rec.

Southampton Rangers v Bailey’s Bay

Southampton

*D Stovell b Burgess 29

J Albuoy c Richardson b Hodsoll 1

† K Tucker lbw b Hodsoll 11

A Lynch lbw b Burgess 0

J Tucker b Walker 2

G Simons b Agard 13

M Wellman b Agard 0

T Smith b Agard 0

M Jacobs b Agard 6

K Astwood not out 1

N Mills b Agard 0

Extras (15w, 1nb, 1lb, 3lb) 20

Total (22 overs) 83

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-49; 3-50, 4-52, 5-59, 6-65, 7-65, 8-80, 9-81.

Bowling: K Hodsoll 7-0-20-2; J Burgess 6-0-39-2; M Walker 2-0-5-1; M Agard 5-1-5-5; C Durham 2-0-10-0.

Bailey’s Bay

S Tavares c Mills b Stovell 5

C Durham not out 14

B Trott b Stovell 1

*T Fray not out 11

Extras (9w) 9

Total (2wkts; 7 overs) 40

†J Richardson, J Burgess, K Hodsoll, L Outerbridge, M Walker, M Agard and S Outerbridge did not bat

Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-22.

Bowling: N Mills 4-0-30-0; D Stovell 3-0-10-2.