Wellington Oval (Southampton won toss) St George’s beat Rangers by seven wickets

St George’s began the defence of their Athene T20 League Premier Division title with a comfortable victory over Southampton Rangers at Wellington Oval.

The home side restricted the visitors to 119 for four in their 20 overs and then needed just 53 minutes to reach their target with seven wickets and 8.5 overs in hand as they sent out a clear message to their competitors in the seven-team competition.

Captain Onias Bascome led the batting in the run chase with 48 before he was bowled by captain Dalin Richardson after hitting three sixes and three fours in a dashing knock that set the pace.

Batting at No 3, Bascome was at the crease in the second over after Temiko Wilson was caught at backward point by Keedai Astwood for nine; his runs coming off Nirobi Mills’s opening over.

However, the match quickly swung in St George’s favour as Bascome and opener Macai Simmons (31) added 66 for the second wicket in just six overs.

After Bascome’s departure, bowled going for another big boundary, Simmons carried his bat to the end with a knock of 31 as he and, first, Allan Douglas (19) added 21 for the third wicket, before he and Jonte Smith took them over the line with the remaining 23 runs.

“I think we do have a T20 team, guys who play their shots and are aggressive, for the most part,” said Simmons, whose team was missing Zeko Burgess and Jabari Darrell, away with the Bermuda team, as well as wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith.

Rangers were without key players, too, all-rounder Dion Stovell and player-coach Janeiro Tucker, as well as Charles Trott who is also on international duty.

“Today was a good victory, Rangers had a lot of youngsters in their team so obviously we wanted to capitalise on that,” Simmons added.

Captain Dalin Richardson led the Rangers bowling with two wickets, though he was the most expensive of the five bowlers, giving up 48 runs in his four overs

However, he did get the wicket of Bascome after an expensive previous over when Bascome brought up the team’s 50 in six overs with two sixes.

Nirobi Mills got the other Rangers wicket when he had Douglas caught at wide mid-off for a brisk 19 that included two sixes.

After batting first, Rangers were kept to just 119 with opener Najiyah Raynor batting through the innings for 61 not out which included six fours and a six, while fellow opener Jelani Albuoy scored 32.

The pair put on 64 for the first wicket in ten overs, but once Albuoy departed, the scoring slowed up with no other batsman reaching double figures in the last ten overs.

Rangers went from 65 for one after ten overs to 84 for four after 15 as some tight bowling restricted the scoring.

Shakai Darrell and spinner Rodney Trott went for just 13 and 17 respectively in their four overs, Darrell picking up the wicket of Albuoy in the process. Treadwell Gibbons got the other wicket, giving up 27 runs in his four overs.

St George’s have a bye next weekend before taking on Warwick in their next match on August 28, while Rangers are back in action next weekend against Warwick.

Southampton Rangers

†N Raynor not out 61

J Albuoy c Wilson b Darrell 32

*D Richardson c & b OGL Bascome7

S Mitchell lbw b Gibbons 2

K Astwood c Cannonier b OGL Bascome 0

G Simons not out8

Extras (w 6, nb 1, b 1, lb 1) 9

Total (4 wkts; 20 overs) 119

D Stovell, L Simmons, N Mills, S Raynor and V Eve did not bat

Fall of wickets: 64-1, 73-2, 76-3, 83-4

Bowling: OGL Bascome 4-0-29-2; Smith 2-0-15-0; Gibbons4-0-27-1; Darrell 4-0-13-1; Trott 4-0-17-0; Richards 2-0-16-0

St George’s

†T Wilson c Astwood b Richardson 9

M Simmonsnot out 31

OGL Bascome b Richardson 48

AC Douglas c Richardson b Mills 19

J Smithnot out7

Extras (w 3, nb 1, lb 2) 6

Total (3 wkts; 11.1 overs) 120

A Cannonier, B Swainson, R Trott, R Richards, S Darrell and T Gibbons did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 10-1, 76-2, 98-3

Bowling: Mills 4-0-26-1; Richardson 4-0-48-2; Eve 1-0-23-0; Albuoy 1.1-0-9-0; Raynor 1-0-12-0