Derrick Brangman’s birthday came a day early yesterday when he ripped through the St David’s batting to claim career-best bowling figures of eight for 40, including a hat-trick, as Southampton Rangers all but wrapped up the Logic Premier Division title with two games remaining.

Brangman, who turns 28 today, was virtually unplayable as he had the defending champions reeling at 36 for six after just 52 minutes following an incredible spell which saw him bag five wickets in his first three overs.

Only a seventh-wicket stand of 120 between Fiqre Crockwell and Rudell Pitcher salvaged some pride for St David’s and extended the match past tea as Brangman had figures of five for 25 from seven overs in his first spell.

Brangman claimed a wicket in his first over when he bowled Sammy Robinson for two. Two more followed in his second over, opener Shea Pitcher stumped for 19 and George O’Brien caught first ball by Rohaan Simons. Brangman claimed his hat-trick in his last over when he caught and bowled Crockwell, trapped Kameron Fox leg-before and then had Del Hollis caught by Alex Dore with the final three balls of his spell to beat the seven for 11 runs he took against Bailey’s Bay last season.

“It was a lot of turn today, most the guys got bowled out,” said Brangman, who recently won the Cup Match Safe Hands award for best catch, and is also the front-runner for the MVP award which the club will announce on Friday night during their prize presentation.

“I was just on today, that’s how it is,” Brangman said. “Yeah, I had a good game but it could have been better with the bat. I wanted to get 40 wickets this year, but I’ve lost count. Catches, I wanted at least 15 to 20 and batting I wanted 200 to 300 runs and I think I’m on target.”

Brangman, last season’s MVP, is playing down his chances of repeating. “I just want to win, so if we keep winning and at the end of the year I’m MVP then I’ll be happy,” he said. “My early birthday gift was today with the eight wickets.”

Another whirlwind knock by Rudell Pitcher helped St David’s recover to reach 171 after his century stand with Crockwell, who made 39. Pitcher, who scored 90 last weekend against Willow Cuts, struck 97 this time, with ten sixes and three fours in 90 minutes at the crease. He came to the wicket in the fifteenth over to find Brangman in devastating form.

Pitcher and Crockwell saw Brangman off the ball as they rebuilt the innings in the next hour, before Crockwell was caught and bowled by Brangman in his final over as the last four wickets went down in a couple of overs.

Pitcher was last out, bowled by Dion Stovell in the first over of his second spell.

St David’s did draw early blood when Oronde Bascome was trapped leg-before by O’Brien in the second over. Alex Dore and Shannon Raynor then steadied things with a second-wicket stand of 50 before Dore was bowled for 19 by Justin Pitcher in his first over.

Raynor, promoted to number three, played some delightful strokes in his top score of 63, which included nine fours and a six before he was caught on the long-on boundary by Rudell Pitcher off Kameron Fox, with the score 113 for three.

Dion Stovell stayed there to the end for 33 not out after Janeiro Tucker departed for 15 to a good catch at short cover by O’Brien, and Derrick Brangman lifted an OJ Pitcher full toss straight to mid-wicket, where Cejay Outerbridge took a smart catch inches off the ground.

St David’s used ten bowlers, but with little success as their captain, OJ Pitcher, finished with two for 22 from four overs.

*Cleveland scored a crucial win over Willow Cuts in a relegation battle at Somerset Cricket Club. Cleveland made 253 for nine in their 50 overs with a half-century from Koshun Smith, before Willow Cuts were dismissed for 177.

The match at St David’s between Flatts and Somerset was not played yesterday because no umpires showed up.