Southampton Rangers 282-9 Southampton Rangers kept their place at the top of the Premier League with a thrilling one-wicket victory over title rivals Western Stars at Southampton Oval yesterday.

An unbroken last-wicket partnership of 15 between Garry Williams (16 not out) and Gary Crofton (one not out) guided Rangers to their target of 282 with two overs to spare in a nailbiting finale.

On a wicket full of runs and a parched, fast outfield, the teams clocked up 563 runs in an enthralling match in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Stars had earlier won the toss, batted and mounted an imposing looking total of 281-8 from their 50 overs.

Opener Albert Steede had started the weekend on top of the averages and showed why, carrying his bat through the three-and-a-half hour innings, scoring an unbeaten 109.

Steede played the role of anchor man, surviving as wickets tumbled at the other end and hitting 14 fours and a six from 146 balls faced.

He and opening partner Treadwell Gibbons (40) put on 68 and then Steede shared a stand of 115 for the third wicket with Ricky Brangman, who hammered a commanding 52.

At 215 for three with 11 overs remaining, Stars looked set for a 300-plus score, but some fine bowling from paceman Garry Williams (three for 41) slowed them down.

Arnold Manders (13) and Gary Brangman (18) both hit towering sixes as they tried to accelerate the scoring rate. But after he reached his century, the runs dried up for Steede and Rangers stayed in the match.

Rangers' reply started poorly with Adam Brangman taking the wickets of both openers with only 25 on the board.

Janeiro Tucker then seized back the initiative for Rangers with a rapid 68, including 11 fours and two sixes, as he and Olin Jones put on 89 for the third wicket.

Player-coach Clevie Wade came to the crease with the score on 125 for four and used all his experience to make 66, hitting a remarkable five sixes, as well as four fours.

With good support from Rohaan Simons, Wade guided Rangers to within 32 runs of victory before getting out in controversial style.

Wade was backing up and out of his crease as bowler Adam Brangman stopped in his run-up and whipped off the bails.

The same bowler clean bowled Simons to leave the match poised on a knife edge, with Rangers on 267 for nine, before Williams and Crofton earned five points which could be crucial in the title race.

Willow Cuts 208-9 St George's 209-7 Dexter Smith will have made it difficult for the St George's Cup Match selectors to ignore him after he hit his second half-century of the weekend to guide his team to a three-wicket win over Willow Cuts at Somerset CC.

The left-handed opener brought his weekend's aggregate to 160 as he struck 79 as St George's reached their target with just four balls to spare after their innings had been reduced to 43 overs because of their own slow over-rate.

When Smith was fourth out at 164, there was still some work to be done by the St George's lower middle order, but Wendell Smith took over where his namesake left off with an important undefeated 32.

Cuts, however, will feel the match may have turned with 34 runs needed when Wendell Smith hit an Ossie Hinds full toss straight to mid-wicket but the umpires gave him not out because too many fielders were outside the circle.

Rangers hold onto top spot From Page 27 Earlier, Richard Basden, returning to action with brother Dexter and spinner Kevin Fubler after the trio missed the Somerset Cup Match trial the previous day, had shown his ability with 65 in Cuts' total of 208-9. Dexter Basden and Dwayne Basden both got into the 30s as leg spinner David Adams secured four for 26 from 10 overs.

Devonshire Rec. 158 Bailey's Bay 159-3 Veteran batsman Charlie Marshall hammered his fifth ton of the season in leading Bailey's Bay to a seven-wicket victory over Devonshire Rec. at Sea Breeze Oval.

Marshall struck 119 not out as teenager Stevie Outerbridge played a masterful supporting role with 17 not out in a partnership that steered the team from potential disaster.

With Bay floundering at 13 for three, the pair joined in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand that added 146 runs.

Marshall wasted little time in hitting his team out of trouble, tearing the heart out of Devonshire's attack. He finished with 14 fours and seven sixes, knocking the bowlers off stride with thundering shots to all parts of the ground.

Dennis Williams had undone the early Bay batsmen with two for 27 off five overs.

Earlier John Ray took three for 27 off nine overs to help restrict the Devonshire batsmen. Clarkie Trott had two for 24 off nine overs while Anthony Braithwaite finished with two for 50 off 10 overs. Wendell Swan was the top bat for Devonshire with 42 while Ja Ja Millett scored 38 and Monroe Darrell 15.

Somerset Bridge 64 Police 65-2 Police needed just 52 balls to cruise to their victory target against a 10-man Somerset Bridge side.

One member of the Bridge side reportedly left the ground following a team dispute before the start of play.

Bridge batted first and collapsed completely with not a single batsman reaching double figures. Their total of 64 could have been even more embarrassing but for a substantial contribution of 28 extras. Adrian King, playing his first match of the season, took three for 17 and Carlo Greaves four for 21.

Opener Stevie Lightbourne smashed a quickfire 38, including seven fours, to set Police on their way and his partner Dennis Archer carried his bat with 12 not out to steer his side to victory.

Flatts 208 Somerset CC 183 Player-coach Dwayne Leverock took three for 19 to lead Flatts to a 25-run victory over Somerset at Devonshire Rec.

Leverock took his haul off seven overs and bowled four maidens. Brendon Woolridge returned two for 13 off six overs while Derek Wright took two for 59 off six overs.

The West Enders rallied with an eighth-wicket stand of 79 between Francis Richardson (44) and Chris Dailey (42), but it wasn't enough. Tony Cheeseman struck 31 and Wendell White 12.

Earlier opener Quinn Outerbridge and Derek Wright hit 35 apiece for Flatts while Philip Burgess scored 29 and Millard Bean 27. Wendell White had two for 21 off six overs and Tacoma Robinson two for 36 off six overs.

Cleveland 216-9 Warwick 72 Curtis Jackson hammered 77 and Carlton Smith struck 42 in leading Cleveland to a 144-run victory over lowly Warwick at Wellington Oval.

Jackson and Smith joined in an opening stand of 108 that quickly gave Cleveland the upper hand. Peter Philpott contributed 25 and Allan Douglas 12.

Reginald (Lucky) Pitcher led Warwick in bowling with five for 43 off 10 overs while Hoyt Zuill took three for 45 off 10 overs.

Number nine batsman Quinton King was top scorer for Warwick with 24 not out while the only other player in double figures was opener T.Simmons with 10.

Carlton Smith led Cleveland bowlers with six for 50 off eight overs while Aaron Adams returned two for six off 4.1 overs and Jason Simons two for 13 off four overs.

Social Club 71 St. David's 79-0 Visiting Social Club paid dearly for fielding just nine players for this mach at Lord's.

First they were wrecked by the bowling of Dale Fox who had a haul of five wickets and then openers Chris Foggo (33) and Sammy Robinson (31) easily reached the target.

Photos by Ras Mykkal Big hit: Janeiro Tucker of Southampton Rangers slams a fierce shot to the square leg boundary during his innings of 64 in Saturday's Western Counties Cup match at White Hill Field. Below: Somerset Bridge batsman Durwood Cann is bowled by Tucker for two as wicketkeeper Keith Wainwright and slip fielder Michael Brangman look on. Full match report, see Page 29 .