Southampton Rangers were denied the opportunity to achieve a perfect season of league and knockout titles by the cruel fates of Mother Nature and an unfavourable coin toss on Sunday.

Matched against Somerset for one of two Premier Division 40 Overs KO semi-final contests, Rangers were highly expected to advance to the final.

Thunderstorms, however, put paid to any chance of play at either Somerset Cricket Club or Wellington Oval ― the scheduled venue for Warwick versus St George’s ― precipitating a coin toss as the result decider according to competition regulations.

While disappointed at the manner in which his club’s year had ended Rangers president Darren “Butch” Burchall, could only salute the power of the elements.

“Mother Nature decided it wasn't for us to win all the trophies and you have to go with what the elements offer you,” said Burchall, who is largely responsible for Rangers’ assemblage of all-star talent.

“The only way we could have lost was by a coin toss and that's something we can hold our heads up to.”

Rangers, containing the likes of Cup Match stars Dion Stovell and Onias Bascome, former professional Delray Rawlins, captain Alex Dore, recent double-centurion Allan Douglas Jr, Dalin Richardson and other significant contributors, had been an impregnable unit throughout the Champions Cup, Premier Division T20, T20 KO Cup, Western Counties Cup and recently concluded Premier Division 50 overs competition.

From day one, Rangers announced their intentions with a decisive Champion of Champions trophy victory over PHC. They fortified that statement by running the table in the T20 competition, before announcing themselves in the longer form by scoring 411 against defending champions St David’s.

Perhaps the high point of the campaign came in mid-August, when Rangers assaulted the local limited-overs record book by scoring a record 557 in a league contest against Willow Cuts, featuring an unbeaten double-century from Douglas, and posting a 512-run margin of victory, also believed to be a record.

Rather than be depressed, Burchall noted yesterday’s rainout as having inspired his squad to want to do even better next season.

“They’re happy just to be around each other,” he said. “In the group chats it’s the same jokes, the same teasing and one of the guys said, ‘That’s OK, we’ll win them all next year’.”

Meanwhile, Somerset captain Dominic Sabir was surprised by his good fortune in winning the coin flip.

“It’s kind of funny that we end up even winning today — I've been losing tosses all season,” said Sabir, whose team entered as the fourth seed in the four-team competition. “I probably only won about two or three tosses, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to play in the final.

“We're just going to have to go back to the drawing board and train hard this week and get ready for the weekend.

“We’ve had a decent season overall, but we're looking to try and get a trophy before the end of the season. That would be nice to close out the year.”

As a likely underdog against their East End rivals, Sabir noted the need for his team to trust the training, back their strengths and compete with a superior mindset.

“I just want us to get back to enjoying the order and train and do what we've been doing all season,” added Sabir. “I think the guys have been putting in a lot of work.

“Obviously it's getting towards the end of the season where nobody really wants to play.

“As long as we're able to get back and put the work in between now and next week; put our best foot forward; and guys back their strengths and depend on our team-mates to do what they need to do. May the best team win.”

Somerset will play St George’s in the final after the East Enders came out on top of their coin flip.