St.David?s 142

Southampton Rangers 143-2

A masterful innings from Malachi Jones and two devastating bowling spells by fast bowler Traddie Simpson enabled defending Belco Cup champions Southampton Rangers to easily retain their crown against a St.David?s outfit making their third straight appearance in the final at Lords on Sunday.

Jones hammered an unbeaten 78, striking eight fours and a six during a chanceless 104-ball knock lasting some 125 minutes.

The Berkeley Institute student came to the wicket in the sixth over of the innings upon the dismissal of Dion Stovell (one) and featured in two vital stands that ultimately laid the foundation for Rangers? comfortable eight-wicket victory.

Jones put on 84 runs with veteran opener Keith Wainwright (21) in 17 overs for the second wicket before the latter was caught in the covers slashing at a wide delivery. He then shared in an unbroken 59-run third wicket stand in 13.1 overs that carried Rangers all the way to victory at 5.50 p.m. with plenty of wickets in hand and 83 balls to spare.

Earlier, Simpson, backed up by some tight fielding, ripped through the Islanders top order and then returned to claim another wicket in a second spell that yielded only two runs to finish with overall figures of three for 15 off eight overs including one maiden.

?I thought the guys really put in the hard work,? commented victorious Rangers? skipper Janeiro Tucker afterwards. ?Our main objective was to win today and once we saw the wicket we decided to send them in and try to mow them down for 150 runs maximum.?

Rangers won the toss and sent their hosts in to bat on a slightly damp pitch.

And it only took the visiting team and Simpson six balls to make the initial breakthrough when the left-arm fast bowler cleaned bowled Delyone Borden (nought) with a yorker-length delivery that deceived the batsman in the air.

Three overs later Ryan Belboda struck at the opposite end when he tore a leaf from Simpson?s book and bowled Chris Foggo (three) with a nearly identical fuller delivery.

St.David?s number four bat OJ Pitcher (four) then paid the price for chasing a Simpson delivery pitched on the off stump when he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Rohaan Simons to leave the Islanders reeling at 11 for three after five overs.

Such was Ranger?s aggression the field, St.David?s were restricted to only two boundaries in the first hour of play.

?Obviously there was a bit of moisture on the pitch which we wanted to exploit and the stage was set from early on when our bowlers bowled a good line and length,? Tucker added.

?And in the end it all paid off for us.?

However, all of Rangers? early hard work nearly came undone at the seams as middle order bat Sammy Robinson (48) joined Islanders? player/coach Del Hollis (34) at the crease and produced a timely partnership that stopped the rot.

Together the pair added 95 runs for the fourth wicket in 23 overs, a stand that breathed much needed life into the St. David?s innings.

?In cricket you have to expect partnerships to develop,? Tucker said. ?And when they do you just have to hang in there and stick it out and wait for your opportunity.?

Robinson, bidding to regain his spot in Somerset?s Cup Match team this summer, struck six fours off 78 balls before he was trapped leg before attempting to play a delivery that kept low on the back foot in the 28th over.

Hollis, who had earlier survived a confident appeal for a catch in the slips off the bowling of Simpson, then departed in the very next over after leg spinner Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock enticed the batsman to hit across the line and offer an easy catch to Olin Jones fielding at long off.

Hollis hit two fours and two sixes off 60 balls.

With all of the Islanders? recognised bats back in the pavilion, Rangers mopped up the East Ender?s remaining five wickets for the addition of only 34 runs in 14 overs.

Middle order bats Chris Middle order bats Chris Pitcher and Loren Marshall batted resolutely in an effort to put up the shutters. Pitcher (six) faced 21 deliveries while Marshall (five) faced 21 balls.

But once Pitcher was run out by a Janeiro Tucker direct throw from the covers and Olin Jones trapped Marshall leg before, the Islanders lost wickets at regular intervals until Malachi Jones bowled Jevon Foggo (nought) with the final ball of the 43rd over to bring the innings to a close.

Aiding Simpson were Leverock (two for 22), Malachi Jones (two for 27) while Olin Jones and Belboda finished with one wicket apiece.

Despite losing opener Stovell in the sixth over, Rangers encountered little difficulty coasting to victory on the big bat of Jones who produced some glorious on and cover drives on the front foot and forceful thrusts off the back foot.

Jones, who got off the mark with successive boundaries, reached his half-century in the 23rd over off 66 balls, while next high man Wainwright hit two fours off 62 balls at the top of the order.

Arthur Pitcher jr and off spinner Borden claimed one for 27 and one for 22 respectively to lead a St. David?s attack that used eight bowlers in a vain effort to dismiss their more experienced opponents on a pitch made for batting.

Pitcher?s sole moment of delight arrived when he deceived Stovell with a slower delivery and sent the batsman?s middle stump cartwheeling.

Third change Borden then baited Wainwright into cutting into the safe hands of Robinson fielding at point.

Rangers advanced through to Sunday?s final after defeating Bailey?s Bay by three wickets in the semi final a day earlier at Lords while St.David?s prevailed over Stars by four wickets at Somerset Cricket Club to secure passage to a third straight and fifth overall Belco Cup final.