Southampton Rangers took the easiest path to the Combined Knockout Cup final after semi-final opponents Somerset turned up at Southampton Oval yesterday with only three players.

The Belco Cup and Premier Division Limited Overs champions advanced to take on Bailey?s Bay in the final without breaking a bead of sweat ? not even taking to the pitch.

And instead of presiding over a match pitting Premier giants Rangers against newly-crowned First Division champs Somerset, umpires Richard Austin and Wilbur Pitcher were only needed to make a single call, declaring the home team victorious by way of default at 10.40 a.m.

?A team that doesn?t show up forfeits the game . . . it?s as simple as that. There?s no other way you can go,? Pitcher told .

?The boy Pitcher (Somerset skipper Azeem Pitcher) spoke to Clevie (Southampton Rangers coach Clevie Wade) and myself, informing us that Somerset could not get a team together.?

Only late last week Somerset were declared First Division champions after receiving the points for their July 24 league clash which was abandoned after several players on the side of opponents Devonshire were involved in a skirmish.

According to umpire Pitcher, only Somerset veteran fast bowler David Gibbs, Darren Richardson and skipper Pitcher turned up at the ground.

When contacted, Somerset coach Winston Reid offered several reasons for his team?s no-show.

?We tried very hard but just could not get enough players to field a team,? he explained. ?We were hoping to get enough players to make up a team because we didn?t want to default the match.

?But we realised around 8.30 a.m. we still could not get the required amount of players and so the captain (Pitcher) went down to the ground (Oval) to inform the umpires about the situation.?

According to Reid, Jordan DeSilva, Maurice Bassett, and Greg Maybury are currently overseas with the Island?s Under-15 squad, regular team skipper Devon Wade and Shane Hollis are also off the Island, wicketkeeper John Woolnough is heavily involved in academic studies while veteran all-rounder Wendell White had work commitments.

Reid lamented: ?We are very disappointed because you always want to show up for a semi-final at all cost. It?s disappointing because we really worked hard to get there and now to reach the semi-final but can?t field a team is very embarrassing.?

Somerset defeated nine-man St.David?s by 23 runs in a high-scoring affair at Somerset Cricket Club on July 10 to advance to the final four while Rangers crossed Social Club?s revised total in a rain-affected match at Devonshire Recreation Club with seven wickets in hand.

Given his heavy involvement, juggling between national squad and,club duties as well as Cup Match, Rangers skipper Janeiro Tucker seemed to take delight in having a rare Sunday afternoon off.

?It doesn?t make any difference to us how we reach the final as long as we get there,? smiled Tucker.