Oronde Bascome has dropped a bombshell by joining Southampton Rangers for the upcoming season, a move that will almost certainly signal the end of his captaincy at Cup Match challengers St George’s.

Bascome, who received some criticism after St George’s suffered a crushing eight-wicket loss to Somerset in Cup Match last year, severed ties with the St George’s league team ahead of yesterday’s Bermuda Cricket Board’s first transfer period.

With the club having a policy of keeping their league captain as Cup Match captain — a recent exception being in 2012 when Lionel Cann took over from Bascome who had undergone surgery in England — Bascome’s place will not be assured.

Ricky Brangman, the coach of Southampton Rangers, confirmed that Bascome and PHC spinner Hasan Durham have joined Rangers for the upcoming season.

It is understood that Bascome first expressed interest in moving to Rangers during a conversation with captain Janeiro Tucker.

“He [Bascome] spoke to Janeiro and Janeiro called me and we looked at our team to see if he could fit in,” Brangman said.

“He will be a good fit for us. Hasan did say he wanted to get a good season in and work hard again.

“With him coming we will have three left-arm spinners [Derrick Brangman and Vernon Eve] and Dion Stovell, a right-arm spinner.

“We’ve got both experience and young guys and we will definitely be in the running for titles.”

Bascome’s departure from St George’s while captain will remind St George’s fans of Clay Smith’s decision to join neighbours St David’s in 1999, a move which cost him his Cup Match place — two years after winning the trophy he lost in 1996 in Somerset.

Smith vowed soon after the Cup Match team was announced that he would never play for the club in league or Cup Match again, although calmer heads prevailed and he was soon selected again for Cup Match.

Joining Bermuda all- rounder Malachi Jones, who has left Willow Cuts, at Bailey’s Bay will be seam bowler Zeko Burgess who has left St George’s.

Ricky Hoyte, formerly of Somerset, has also transferred to Bailey’s Bay, providing coach Irving Romaine with a tough job of blending the newcomers with a crop of talented youngsters.

“Zeko wanted to join Bailey’s Bay to take his cricket to the next level.

“Malachi and Rodney [captain Rodney Trott] are quite close and he wanted to play with Rodney and come down to Bailey’s Bay,” Romaine said.

“Most of our top players are overseas, with our youngsters like Delray [Rawlins] and Tre [Manders] and they strengthen the team when they come back.

“We’re looking for a good season to try to win as much as we can, obviously Eastern Counties is on our mind.”

Ryan Steede is understood to have returned to St George’s to take up a player-coach role while at least five players are reported to have left Willow Cuts, Chris Douglas, Chris Foggo, Shaquille Jones and Richard Brangman as well as Malachi Jones.

Douglas and Brangman are joining Devonshire Rec where Dwayne Leverock is the coach, while Shaquille Jones is returning to Somerset and Foggo is understood to have joined St George’s.

Also heading to Devonshire are Philip Thomas from Western Stars, Cleveland’s Lavar Talbot, Wilbur Burt of St George’s and St David’s Ajun Lambe.

Heading to Cleveland from Western Stars is Clay Darrell where he will join his father, Clay Smith, the coach.