Three Premier Division matches were abandoned at the weekend — one over the reported snatching of a player's chain — as the season was hit by more controversy.

Southampton Rangers wrapped up the league title on Saturday when one of the Willow Cuts players had his chain snatched by a spectator at the match.

The incident prompted several Cuts team to pursue the culprit, leaving only the umpires and the two Rangers batsmen, Janeiro Tucker and Ian Armstrong on the field.

The match never resumed, with Rangers 87 for three after 14 overs in reply to the 176 posted by Cuts. Armstong was on 40 not out and Tucker 32 not out.

Two Premier Division matches were also hit by controversy yesterday, with players losing interest after Cup Match and Eastern Counties, which had its final on Saturday.

At Somerset in the match between the home team and Bailey's Bay, a ball was hit out of the ground and lost during Bay's innings. Bay were 70 for two at the time and a water break was taken while the search continued for the ball in the nearby garden.

It was at that time that information was received from the St David's and Flatts match that some St David's players opted not to take the field after captain OJ Pitcher won the toss and sent Flatts in to bat.

Both teams were reportedly a couple of players short, as was the case with Somerset who had nine players for their match.

“They struggled to get nine and when they heard that St David's had given the game to Flatts, they just said they weren't going to play anymore, that they didn't have any more balls,” said Irving Romaine, the Bailey's Bay coach. “I've never seen anything like it, it's a sad state for cricket. The teams that want to play cricket are suffering because of those who don't care. It happens every year at the end of the season. We're wasting the umpires' time and everybody else's.

“Some teams want to play and some teams don't. Some of Somerset's players have gone back to school so that isn't really their fault.”