Wellington Oval, St George’s (Southampton Rangers won toss): St George’s beat Southampton Rangers by 9 wickets.

St George’s opened up their 50 Overs Premier Division campaign with an emphatic win yesterday.

The home team showed little mercy on a Rangers outfit decimated by the off-season departures of several top players including all-rounder Dion Stovell and Janeiro Tucker, who left for Cleveland and Somerset respectively, while also gone from the bowling department were Bermuda all-rounder Charles Trott and Nirobi Smith-Mills.

“Obviously Rangers are rebuilding, but on the flip side we’ve lost a lot of players as well, so for us it was about getting all of the kinks out and putting in a professional performance,” said coach Clay Smith.

“I thought that from a bowling and fielding aspect that we did a very good job and then being able to knock off 77 runs for the loss of one wicket wasn’t too bad.

“It’s all about preparing, because we have some tough games coming up against St David’s and then Bay, so we have to make sure that we’re ready to perform when the tougher games come.”

Compounding matters at the very start of Rangers’ innings was a first ball run out of opener Keishon Wilson. Wilson set off for a single on a ball hit to mid-on, but despite an initial fumble Shaq Darrell quickly recovered to make an accurate throw to wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith, who had the bails off in a flash, leaving Wilson stranded and Rangers in immediate trouble.

Rangers continued to stumble as two more wickets fell in the space of 21 balls, with Alex Dore (nine) and Cameron Gordon (0) making quick exits.

Captain Dalin Richardson (33 not out) managed to stem the bleeding as he came in at number five to partner Jaloni Albouy (16), with the pair scratching and clawing their way to a 37-run partnership before the latter fell to the left-arm medium pace of Rohan Richards.

Albouy’s dismissal triggered an unceasing collapse, which had Rangers go from 53 for five to 77 all out.

Richards and Darrell both shone with the ball, with the former claiming three for 23 and the latter three for 19. Burgess also chipped in with two wickets.

Rangers did not help themselves when bowling, as they surrendered 16 extras in the six overs bowled before tea, while claiming no wickets, as Temiko Wilson and Nzari Paynter cruised along in search of the low target.

Wilson eventually fell to Makai Jacobs just after the break, leaving Sinclair Smith to accompany Paynter as St George’s attained the required runs for victory.

Despite having enjoyed a productive 2022 campaign, in which St George’s won the Athene T20 Premier Division title, Smith was cautiously optimistic as to the team’s title chances in the 50-overs competition this season.

“To be quite honest, it’s just about taking one game at a time and trying to perform at our best every game,” said Smith, who would have been pleased to see some players getting in extra batting practice after the match had ended early.

“We’re not going to go out there and say we want to win the league title. Obviously every team’s goal is to win the league and if it happens, it happens. It’s about employing the processes and everybody doing what is required properly and in the right manner.

“We just want to improve each game and get better.”

Smith noted how his squad operated well under strength, with all-rounder Jonté Smith unavailable with a knee injury picked up during the football season, while newly acquired Trott is recovering from a broken ankle suffered while on tour with Bermuda.

Further damage was incurred with Oronde Bascome seen icing down an injured left hamstring and captain Onias Bascome leaving the field with a damaged shoulder.

“We’re nursing a lot of injuries right now so hopefully over the next couple of weeks we’ll get some of these guys back,” said Smith.

“But we can’t think short term and race guys back because it’s a long season with a lot of cricket to be played and I don’t want to jeopardise a player for one game when he can play a whole season.

“We have to be intelligent with our thought process where injuries are concerned.”

Despite having lost, Rangers captain was very much encouraged by the energy and efforts displayed by his inexperienced squad, which he believes bodes well for the future of the club.

“The 77 today was more than just what the scoreboard said,” said Richardson, who last season played third fiddle to the likes of Tucker and Stovell, despite holding the title of captain.

“If you came out and watched the energy, with everybody trying and putting in full effort. Like I said, I’ve never been in an environment like that here at Rangers. I love it and we will get even better results as we grow together as a unit in greater harmony.

“This is the first game I’ve ever played for Rangers that was 110 per cent positive. I’ve never in my life played in a match where, if somebody messed up in the field or dropped catches, that there’s no real problem with it because the effort was there.

“All this time the energy that has been missing has been the fun part. Right now, with this rebuilding that’s going on, it’s more than just a cricket team. We are looking to prove a point that we can do it no matter what.”