PHC beat St David’s by two wickets in a nail-biting Belco Cup semi-final at Somerset today.

The Zebras chased down their 228 target with just eight balls to spare, and will now meet defending champions Southampton Rangers in tomorrow’s final.

In the other semi-final Rangers crushed Bailey’s Bay in a one-sided affair at Lords, and will fancy their chances of claiming a seventh victory in a competition they have made all their own.

Bay were bowled out for a paltry 87, with Irving Romaine (35) one of only two batsmen to reach double figures. Rangers did their best to make a game of it, conceding 26 extras in the 24.1 overs that they bowled.

In reply openers Dion Stovell (40) and Kwane Tucker (29), ended any slim hopes of Bay miracle, and the cup holders eventually won by six wickets. The margin of victory would have been greater, but Janeiro Tucker and Shannon Rayner were both given out to highly dubious lbw decisions with their side needing just eight runs to win.

Fortunately for Rangers the decisions were largely academic, as was the equally poor decision that did for PHC opener Sheridan Ming in Somerset.

Ming had just passed his half century when he was given out lbw off the bowling of OJ Pitcher, even though his bat appeared to make considerable contact with the ball prior to hitting his pads.

The dismissal left his side at 128 for three, still 100 runs short of their target, and could have changed the game. Luckily for PHC, Fiqre Crockwell (20), Dean Stevens (29) and man-of-the-match Kyle Lightbourne (27*) kept their heads to see the underdogs to a famous victory.

That St David’s even had 227 to defend was largely due to the efforts of skipper Delyone Borden, whose unbeaten 52 rescued them from a precarious position at 81 for four.

Borden was helped hugely in guiding the side to a decent score by Loren Marshall (42), while Lightbourne picked up three wickets for PHC.

Meanwhile, in yesterday’s only First Division encounter, Western Stars got their season off to a flying start with a nine-wicket hammering of Warwick at St John’s Field.

Batting first, the visitors were skittled out for just 60, with Joshua Butler (24), the only batsman to put up any resistance.

Jervanie Fubler was the pick of the Stars bolwers, taking three wickets for just three runs. Wayne Campbell (32*) then guided the home side to victory with the minimum of fuss.