Tomiko Wilson scored a career-best 133 on his debut for St George’s but failed to lead his team to victory at Southampton Oval where Ricardo Brangman replied with 97 not out to guide Southampton Rangers to a six-wicket victory in the Open League Premier Division.

St George’s looked to have played themselves into an unbeatable position after winning the toss and posting 273 for six in their maximum 65 overs.

However, Rangers, despite having four players on international duty in Malaysia, took up the challenge and replied with 274 for six after Malachi Jones and Shannon Rayner, in their first games back at Rangers, shared an opening stand of 132.

The pair departed in the space of nine runs, both falling to spinner Jahron Dickinson, with Rayner first out for 69 and Jones for 49. Brangman, batting at No 3, added 64 with Rohaan Simons to bring up the 200 before St George’s pegged them back by taking four wickets in the space of just six runs to have Rangers wobbling at 211 for six.

That would be the last Rangers wicket to fall as Brangman found a useful partner in the experienced Vernon Eve as they shared in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 63 to carry the team to victory with only 11 balls remaining. Brangman, hoping to score the second century of the match, needed 11 to reach the milestone but with only 14 needed for victory.

And while he scored the winning four off Ben Phipps, Brangman finished three runs short of a deserved hundred as Eve ended on 14 not out.

“I kind of wanted to get it but it was better for us to win,” said Brangman, who watched three partners, Simons, Najiyah Raynor and Kwame Tucker, all fall to player-coach Ryan Steede before he and Eve launched a late rally.

It was a boundary down the leg side by Eve that virtually ruled out the century possibility for Brangman, with eight runs needed for victory and Brangman still on 91.

“I looked at the score and realised I couldn’t get it so I just wanted to stay there and see the game out,” Brangman added.

“That four he hit took it away from me but as long as we won, then it was a team effort. The openers made it a little easy for us, you just had to hang around and wait for the right balls.”

Steede led St George’s bowling with three for 52 while Dickinson claimed two for 55.

Earlier opener Wilson struck a century to help St George’s recover from 21 for two after Dickinson and Amori Simons both went cheaply. Wilson and Oronde Bascome (63) added 122 for the third wicket before Wilson and Chris Foggo carried on towards a big score with a stand of 126 for the fourth wicket, which carried the score to 269. Foggo was bowled by Tayo Smith for 53. Smith, 16, led the Rangers bowling with four for 43.

Rangers then took three wickets in the space of a few runs, including Wilson who was run out on the second-last ball after going back for a risky second run after a drive to the covers.

“Unfortunately, I’m used to making big knocks and still losing, it’s a little agitating,” Wilson said. “This was a career best.

“It was still a good start to the season, I’m proud of my boys for making a good go of it. We made it a competitive game after posting a nice score.

“One end was coming up pretty high and the other end was staying low. You had to stay on the front foot and be wary of the ball coming through low. There were good partnerships throughout the whole day.”