Bailey’s Bay, 270 for six, beat Southampton Rangers, 204 all out, by 66 runs.With the odds weighing heavily against Southampton Rangers successfully defending their Premier Division title this season after a poor start of one win and three losses, Janeiro Tucker yesterday attempted to prove that they should not be written off yet.However, his fine innings of 97 did nothing but help Rangers stage a spirited fightback before falling to a 66-run defeat to Bailey’s Bay at Sea Breeze Oval.After Southampton’s bowlers had received a sound whacking from the Bay bats, Southampton bats could offer no similar resistance and were floundering early with four wickets down with just 59 runs and seemingly incapable of coming within range of their winning target of 271.Those bats departed were skipper Dion Stovell (4), Gerald Simons (14), Curtis Jackson (5) and Alex Dore (7).However, there was still hope alive with Janeiro Tucker and Shannon Raynor left in the pavilion.Everything depended on these two to restore some sort of hope in the team’s aims this season to repeat a championship run and with a cool, calculated approach to the job at hand they set about accomplishing this goal.Taking advantage of some sluggish bowling by Bay, the pair gained the initiative and with a series of fierce strokes to all parts of the boundary steadily added to the total, taking the score to 144 when Raynor was caught by David Lovel off Ryan Steede for 47.Tucker remained and played comfortably for a long spell but was unable to find a suitable partner to give him support a the opposite end.With nobody staying around and overs running out, the main interest now was whether he would reach his century, but his fine batting display came to an end when he was caught at the long-off boundary by Cal Dill off Kyle Hodsoll with the total on 199 and just eight overs remaining. He hammered eight fours and two sixes.It was over for Rangers with Tucker returning to the pavilion with the total now 119 for seven and just lightweight bats left to come in. None were able to last long.Hodsoll was the pick of the Bay bowlers with four for 51 off 9.5 overs while Ryan Steede had two for 30 off eight overs and Lateef Trott two for 26 off eight overs.Earlier Bay coasted to their impressive total with Irving Romaine top scoring on 62 (three fours and five sixes), Cal Dill 58 (10 fours and two sixes), David Lovell 49 (six fours and a six), Terryn Fray 34 and skipper Stephen Outerbridge 25.Openers Fray and Dill got their innings off with a solid opening stand of 90 to make the bowlers sweat it out for the remainder of the innings.Southampton bowlers received harsh treatment with only Shannon Raynor taking more than one wicket, finishing with two for 56 off nine overs. Dion Stovell had one for 36 off 10 overs, Ryan Belboda one for 56 off 10 overs, Traddie Simpson one for 58 off 10 overs, Janeiro Tucker one for 50 off 10 overs and Darnell Ferrell 0-13 off one over.St. David’s, 297 all out, beat Devonshire Rec., 167 all out, by 130 runs.St. David’s rebounded from their loss to Willow Cuts last weekend by completing the double over Devonshire Rec., beating their city rivals by130 runs at Lords yesterday.Knowing that order had to be restored at the top of the league table with East End rivals St. George’s hot on their heels, the hosts batted first and made their way to 297 with Bermuda international Lionel Cann blasting 125.Skipper Delyone Borden added 44 to help the league leaders reach a formidable total of 297, while Herbie Bascome claimed three wickets for 37 runs. Derrick Brangman chipped in with three wickets for 50 runs.In reply, the visitors could only manage 167 as skipper Brangman top scored with 49 to lead an unsuccessful run chase. Kameron Fox added 28 in a losing cause while Ricardo Brangman jr. scored 25.Del Hollis was the top bowler, taking three wickets for 42. Sammy Robinson contributed two wickets. The win, coupled with the loss of second-placed St. George’s to PHC gives St. David’s the edge with their lead at the top of the table.