Kevin Tucker and Vernon Eve claimed nine wickets between them as Southampton Rangers began their defence of the Western Counties Trophy with a six-wicket first-round victory over Willow Cuts at White Hill Field on Saturday.

Eve, a left-arm slow bowler, took five for 17 while seam bowler Tucker had figures of four for 13. Opening batsman Alex Dore led the run chase with 32 while wicketkeeper-batsman Ricardo Brangman and Rohaan Simons added 23 and 29 not out.

Simons and captain Janeiro Tucker, carried the holders safely across the line with 18.5 overs to spare via an unbroken 43-run fifth-wicket stand.

Rangers had Cuts in a spot of bother at 32 for two. But a 50-run third-wicket stand between Kamal Bashir and guest player Chris Douglas put Cuts back on track. However, the innings took a twist with Cuts suffering a massive collapse.

They slipped from 82 for three to 111 all out in the space of 14 overs as Eve plucked out the middle order and Tucker mopped up the tail. Opener Bashir led Cuts’ batting with 28.

Rangers got their reply off to a shaky start with Tucker and James Celestine both dismissed cheaply. However, a 58-run third-wicket stand between Dore and Brangman provided the impetus to get the run chase back on course. Brangman was first to go for obstruction, a dismissal he felt was unfair.

Cuts were unable to make further inroads as Simons and Janeiro Tucker, playing his first game of the season after having a shoulder operation, saw the holders to victory. Guest players Malachi Jones, the former Rangers all-rounder, and Douglas led the Cuts bowling with identical figures of one for 19.

Rangers will face Somerset Bridge in the second round at White Hill Field on Saturday.

White Hill Field (Southampton won toss): Southampton won by 6 wickets

Willow Cuts

*D Basden c Brangman b Tucker 0

K Bashir c Brangman b Eve 28

S Fubler b Smith 5

C Douglas c Simons b Eve 25

M Jones c J Tucker b Eve 3

K James b Tucker 11

J Basden st Brangman b Eve 3

B Spencer b Eve 0

C Wainwright not out 3

†B Simmons c Dore b Tucker 0

T Brown c&b Tucker 0

Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 26) 30

Total (30 overs) 111

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-32, 3-82, 4-83, 5-89, 6-99, 7-99, 8-107, 9-110

Bowling: Tucker 9-3-13-4: Brangman 9-2-26-0; Stovell 7-2-10-0; Smith 6-0-41-1; Eve 10-0-17-5

Southampton

A Dore c Simmons b Jones 32

K Tucker run out 5

J Celestine lbw Brown 2

†R Brangman obstruction b Douglas 23

R Simons not out 29

*J Tucker not out 13

Extras (w 8, nb 1) 0

Total (31.1 overs) 113

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-9, 3-67, 4-70

Bowling: Brown 6-0-22-1; Jones 10-2-19-1; James 5-1-11-0; Bashir 3-0-18-0; Douglas 4-0-19-1; Basden 3-0-23-0; Wainwright .1-0-2-0.

Umpires: A Knight, S Douglas