Southampton Rangers lifted their second trophy of the season after being crowned T20 Premier Division champions in their first season back in the top flight.

Rangers went unbeaten to the title, which they clinched after cruising to a comfortable 128-run win against relegated PHC in front of their own fans at Southampton Oval on Sunday.

The home side posted 203 for nine after being sent in to bat, with Jordan DeSilva (57) and Onias Bascome (47) scoring the bulk of their runs.

Bascome, who has bowled very sparingly in recent times after a serious shoulder injury, then took five wickets for six runs to cap an outstanding all-round display as ten-man PHC were dismissed for 75 in 18.5 overs.

Rangers captain Alex Dore was delighted to add more silverware to the First Division Champion of Champions title the side also won at the expense of Western Counties rivals PHC on the opening weekend of the season.

“It feels amazing,” Dore told The Royal Gazette.

“We prepared well. We set out a goal and I think we achieved that with conviction.

“We wanted to be aggressive, to set a standard of cricket that we want to play and stick to the plan.

“We know the standard of Southampton Rangers and that standard has always been a good winning club.

“The standard of the club has always been to win trophies and that’s what we came to do.”

Rangers assistant coach Clevie Wade is also happy to see the club achieve more success.

“It feels good to be champions, especially being back at Rangers where I was a few years ago and helping them out to win trophies,” he said.

“Now I’ve been helping Herbie Bascome as the head coach and it feels good to be a champion again.”

Wade cited pre-season preparation, sticking to game plans, harmony and commitment as key to the team’s latest success.

“We are gelling well, coming together well and getting results,” he said.

“We are capable of beating anybody on any given day. But it’s the momentum, harmony and the belief that these guys have in each other as a team. This is a big confidence boost to go undefeated to the T20 title.

“Coach Bascome said we are here to win all the trophies that’s out there, but it’s going to take teamwork, hard work. It’s all about the preparation.”

Playing a key role in Rangers’ success was seamer Nyhrobi Carmichael, who claimed three for 18 against PHC to finish with a league-high 15 wickets.

“It feels good to be the top wicket-taker, I’ve come a long way,” he said.

“The struggles I have faced over the last few years playing this sport and then all the stuff in life that I am dealing with now, I just use that all to fuel me on the field.”

Carmichael is also delighted to earn another winners’ medal in his first season at Rangers since joining them from Bailey’s Bay.

“It definitely feels good and hopefully we can go for more,” he said.

Rangers lost the early wicket of Dante Wellman (4) in the second over but quickly recovered as Bascome unleashed a vicious assault on the bowling, smashing six sixes and two fours in a whirlwind 16-ball knock.

He added 31 runs for the second wicket with Dore (8) and 21 for the third with former captain Dalin Richardson (3) before falling three runs shy of a deserved half-century after chopping a Parth Kanwar ball on to his stumps.

DeSilva then kept the scoreboard ticking over with an aggressive innings of his own. He thumped two fours and five sixes, including a maximum off Jahmari Beach, to bring up his fifty in style off 21 balls.

The experienced player dominated an 85-run, fifth-wicket partnership with Dion Stovell (22), the highest of the match, before being brilliantly stumped by Dionte Dowling off the bowling of Beach.

Nacori Smith (16) and Carmichael (18) were the remaining Rangers batters in double figures while PHC leaked 26 extras, including 18 wides.

Player-coach Charles Trott (two for 20), Parth Kanwar (two for 37), Ori Wilson (two for 41) and Beach (two for 31) were PHC’s most successful bowlers.

The away side found runs hard to come by in their chase and once Carmichael made the initial breakthrough by bowling Wilson (15), wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.

Bascome was introduced into the Rangers attack at the beginning of the fourteenth over and made an immediate impact by picking up three wickets in his first over as PHC slipped to 48 for six.

He then claimed the scalps of Beach (24), PHC’s top scorer, and Julian Caisey (0) in his third over to complete his five-wicket haul.

Wellman (one for one) then bowled last man Taylor Tankard (0) to seal the victory and spark the home team’s celebrations.