Southampton Rangers laid down the hammer with a 42-run win against St George’s in a high-scoring match at Southampton Oval on Sunday.

Captain Alex Dore, who filled in as wicketkeeper for the day, was happy with the positive result but warned his players not to become complacent.

“Our openers Onias and Delray laid the foundation for the win with a great opening partnership,” Dore said.

“They gave us a comfortable start with Dion and Jordan bringing up the rear for us to post a challenging total. Our goal is to win the 50-over format as well but we will take one game at a time. Today, we learnt that we can’t be too complacent and overconfident so we will continue to work hard to accomplish our goal.”

Rangers openers Onias Bascome and Delray Rawlins took a T20 mental approach to this match with some aggressive batting posting 166 runs for the opening partnership in only 18.3 overs.

The pair spared no bowler by putting on 79 runs in the first powerplay at a rate of 7.9 runs an over, which put them on a projected score of close to 400 runs.

Right-arm spinner Keegan Jones would break up the partnership when he had Rawlins caught by Zeko Burgess for 66.

Bascome followed him into the pavilion but only after scoring 95, with his top innings including 74 runs from boundaries (11 fours and five sixes).

Jones would keep St George’s in the match when he removed Alex Dore and Dalin Richardson in rapid time, and Macai Simmons then took a brilliant one-handed diving catch at mid-off to dismiss Deunte Darrell.

Rangers collapsed from 193 for three at the halfway stage to 223 for six largely owing to Jones, who bowled out his ten-over spell with figures of four for 50.

His excellence significantly slowed Rangers run-rate to 6.37 runs an over but veterans Dion Stovell and Jordan DeSilva started to rebuild the innings with some sensible batting to keep the score ticking.

The two would carry the score to 281, putting on a seventh-wicket partnership worth 70 before the former lofted into the hands of Jonté Smith at long-off for 37.

DeSilva hung around to make a valuable contribution of 38 but would be last out, bowled by left-arm spinner Rahul Sapra in the last over as Rangers posted 300 all out. Jones and Sapra were the pick of St. George’s bowlers with four wickets apiece for 50 and 66 runs respectively. Burgess captured the remaining two wickets for 45 runs.

In response, the East Enders opened with Jonté Smith and Nzari Paynter. Smith was given two lives in the opening over before he pulled to the boundary for four on the last ball to open his account.

After surviving the early scare, the two settled down in pursuit of the run chase. They put on a 76 before left-arm spinner Rawlins sent a quicker one through on the last ball of the tenth over, beating Smith for speed and shattering his stumps.

St. George’s toppled from 76 without loss to 86 for three in the space of 14 balls, with Paynter slicing one to Donte Brangman at third man for 36. Stovell made light work of Jones with a well-held return catch.

Captain Sinclair Smith and Simmons helped to stabilise the ship. The two put on a 48- run, fifth-wicket partnership before Rawlins got the better of the captain when bowling him around his legs for 26.

Burgess joined Simmons but the latter would hit high and was caught on the boundary by Darrien Gibbons for 29. Burgess offered some resistance, hitting two sixes and a four, but overplayed a Rawlins slow one and was bowled for 20.

Not going down without a fight, St George’s lower-order batters Sa-Qui Robinson (14), Rahul Sapra (12) and Garvel Stanislaus made useful contributions.

Anaudu Anil, better known for his bowling, came in and threw his bat around to hit a barrage of sixes to finish 49 not out, with the final dismissal of Stanislaus giving Rangers the win by 42 runs.

Rawlins was the pick of their bowlers with four for 52, ably assisted by Allan Douglas with three for 43 and Stovell with two for 48.