PHC Field (Devonshire Rec won the toss): Southampton Rangers beat Devonshire Rec by six wickets.

Southampton captain Dalin Richardson led his team to a sweep of domestic cricket titles after victory in the First Division Knockout Cup final against Devonshire Rec brought them their fourth trophy of the season.

The decision to withdraw from the Western Counties competition probably prevented Rangers from picking up five trophies this summer but Richardson was still thrilled with the way the campaign has gone.

“I wish to thank the senior players that came out to help me this season, especially Dion Stovell who had a big impact in our success,” said Richardson, who won the player-of-the-match award.

“I also want to thank the Rangers committee for believing in us and we didn’t fail. Next season we will be looking to add the Western Counties to our trophy shelf.”

After Rec won the toss and elected to bat, openers Ankoma Cannonier and Treadwell Gibbons Jr put on 26 runs before Cannonier was bowled by Oyinde Bascome for 18.

Freeman Lema came and went without scoring to become Bascome’s second victim after he was caught by Dante Wellman and Rec were scoring at a cautious pace with only 26 runs on the board after the eight-over powerplay.

Allan Douglas Jr joined Gibbons and the two pushed the score along, with Douglas the aggressor, smashing Bascome for two massive sixes over the long on boundary which nearly landed in the road.

It was that man Stovell who broke the third-wicket partnership when Douglas played around the ball and had his stumps struck. He departed for 30 runs, including one four and three sixes, with the score 70 for three.

With Douglas back in the pavilion, the run-rate slowed considerably as Rangers spinners started to pin down the batters and Rec were 76 for four at the halfway stage, recording a run-rate of 3.8 runs per over.

George O’Brien Jr joined Gibbons and the two helped to build the innings, putting on a patient 26-run, fifth-wicket partnership to carry the score into triple figures before Gibbons went for 30 after edging a Makai Jacobs ball into the gloves of wicketkeeper Nacori Smith.

Elder statesman O’Brien batted on and produced a captain’s innings as he and fellow veteran Gerald Simons mustered the team’s highest partnership of 73 to carry the score to 175 before Simons was stumped by Smith off the penultimate ball of the innings for 27.

O’Brien finished unbeaten on 52 as Rec posted a challenging 176 for six in their allotted 40 overs. Stovell was the pick off the Rangers bowlers with two for 36 and was assisted by Oyinde Bascome, who took two for 46.

Chasing a run rate of 4.43 runs per over, Rangers opened with the Bascome brothers, Oronde and Oyinde. Older brother Oronde punished Shaquille Pitcher with three boundaries in the second over as he capitalised on the loose bowling.

O’Brien replaced Pitcher in the attack and made an immediate impact as he had Oronde Bascome drive straight to Gibbons at mid-off with his first ball to break the 30-run opening partnership.

Rangers lost their second wicket on 50 when Nyrobi Carmichael bowled the younger Bascome for 15 and from there the match started to swing in Rangers’s favour as they doubled the Rec’s powerplay score at 54 for two after eight overs.

Wicketkeeper Smith would become O’Brien’s second victim, falling to a similar catch at mid-off by Gibbons in the next over to bring the in-form Stovell to the crease alongside Richardson.

The two dominated, picking up singles and the occasional boundary to move the score along briskly. Richardson was given a life when dropped on 22 and the two would carry the score to 103 for three at the halfway mark, 27 runs more than their opponents at the same stage. Richardson capitalised on his life by bringing up his fifty with a textbook cover drive to the long off boundary for four.

The two took their team to the brink of victory before Stovell (31) drove one into the hands of a diving Gibbons, who took his third catch of the day in the same position to give Carmichael his second wicket and leave Rangers needing 31 runs in 13.1 overs with six wickets in hand.

Jordan DeSilva joined the fray and helped see the team through to victory, with Richardson finishing unbeaten on 77, from 83 balls, including ten fours and a six.

O’Brien was named man of the match after scoring 52 runs and claiming two wickets.