Ricky Brangman, the Southampton Rangers coach, has called for organisers of the Belco Cup to restore the tournament back to its original format.

After nearly three decades as a knockout competition, involving the top four teams in the Logic Premier Division from the previous season, the Belco Cup was expanded this year to ten teams.

The revised format saw the tournament spread over two weekends and begin with eight teams playing in a play-off to earn the right to face defending champions Rangers and St David’s in the semi -finals.

With the teams that emerged from the play-off having more matches under their belt, Brangman feels his players were at a disadvantage against Western Counties rivals Willow Cuts in last Saturday’s Belco Cup semi-final at Somerset Cricket Club and has urged the organisers to consider returning to the original format.

“I felt we were at a disadvantage because everybody else had two games in [before semis] and we just had one,” the former Rangers captain said. “As the coach of Rangers I would prefer to have played as long as everyone else instead of waiting. I think they should have had St David’s and us play too.

“It is OK making a change. But what I disagree with is having two teams going straight to the semi-finals and in my opinion I think they should leave it to the first four teams.”

Brangman also took issue with St David’s, the tournament winners, having the luxury of playing their semi-final with Eastern Counties rivals Cleveland County on their home venue at Lord’s, which he feels gave the Islanders a psychological advantage.

“St David’s played at home both days and in my opinion I think it is unfair to play a semi-final on your home field,” he said. “They have always let the defending champions play at St Davids in the semi-finals.”

A depleted Rangers side relinquished their grip on the Belco Cup after Cuts successfully chased down a target of nearly 300 runs to advance to the final of the competition for the first time. Brangman, who won three titles in his first season as coach of Rangers last term, made no excuses for his team’s demise.

“We did not play too sharp on Saturday,” he admitted. “The batting was okay, but our fielding and bowling really let us down. Our fielding was bad; we dropped catches and things like that.”