Southampton Rangers 297-9

PHC 151-9

Player/coach Janeiro Tucker blasted 82 runs from 67 balls to lift cup holders Southampton Rangers to an emphatic 146-run triumph over challengers PHC during Saturday's opening round of the Western Counties at Southampton Oval.

The destructive middle order batsman demonstrated the ruthless strokeplay that he is known to unleash without warning and provided the July 4th fireworks that kept the opposition chasing leather under sunny skies.

Tucker, who famously captained Bermuda to World Cup qualification four years ago, went for the big shots from the outset as he raced to his half-century off a mere 39 balls in 42 minutes after being spilled behind by wicketkeepr Jason Anderson and at long on by PHC assistant coach Mark Smith early in his innings.

Those missed opportunities proved costly to PHC's bid to wrest the cup back as the veteran all-rounder went on to hammer four sixes and seven fours and dominate a 75-run fifth-wicket stand with Rangers skipper Malachi Jones (42) that virtually put the match beyond the challengers' reach.

No bowler was spared Tucker's wrath especially occasional off-break spinner Ricardo Brangman jr. who was blasted out of his team's attack after going for 40 runs in a four over spell that included 16 in a single over.

Brangman was thrown into the fray in the 21st over and his first delivery to Tucker was smashed over the mid-wicket boundary for six. Tucker then repeated the dose three more times off the same bowler who struggled with his line and length.

But an innings that promised so much finally ended for Tucker just 18 runs shy of what would have been a second century against PHC this season. Attempting to thump left-arm spinner Hasan Durham (three for 49) outside of the ground, Tucker instead got a leading edge and skied the ball to colt Jessie Belboda, who ran several yards off the boundary to take a swirling catch.

Earlier, openers Dion Stovell (47) and Kwame Tucker (20) set the tone for more heavy hitting to come by adding 62 runs for the first wicket in only ten overs before veteran opening bowler Charles Symonds (two for 37) and skipper Cal Wadron (two for 54) applied the brakes to reduce Rangers to 89 for three.

Stovell showed absolutely no respect PHC's openers as he slapped seven fours before he was bowled off an inside edge to give Durham his first scalp.

Having been presented with an asking rate of 5.9 runs per over, PHC's reply got off to the worst possible start as their first four -wickets tumbled with only 42 runs on the board.

Cousins Sheridan Ming (six) and Mark Smith (six) virtually threw away their wickets going for the big shots while Ricardo Bragman (three) gave an easy return catch to Janeiro Tucker and former Ranger Daniel Caines was trapped leg before by left-arm spinner Dwayne Leverock for a 12-ball duck.

That PHC managed to surpass the century mark owed much to the superb batting of opener Jason Anderson who led the resistance with a battling 67 from 102 balls.

The St.George's Cup Match player capitalised whenever the bowlers dropped short or over pitched and seemed to take particular liking to the square leg and mid-wicket boundaries where he scored the bulk of his runs.

Anderson smashed seven fours and four sixes ¿ including two off left-arm spinner Leverock ¿ and punctuated his half-century off 65 balls with an exquisite cover drive that raced to the extra cover boundary.

He added 62 runs for the fifth-wicket with skipper Waldron (28 not out), whose runs were all scored running between the stumps, to keep PHC in with a fighting chance amid a swelling run rate.

But once Anderson finally fell to a soft return catch off a slower delivery from off -break spinner Derrick Brangman in the 34th over, all hopes of a PHC victory went out the window as Rangers, having made the big breakthrough, claimed the challengers' last four wickets for the addition of only 35 runs.

PHC's 46-year-old colt David Adams did not bat after pinching a nerve in his back earlier in the field, leaving his team a man short in their reply.

Veteran swing bowler Ryan Belboda continued his steady season with the ball, claiming two for 17 off seven overs to lead the Rangers attack while Leverock (two for 25) and Brangman (two for 21) also had two each.

Rangers will now meet challengers Willow Cuts in next Saturday's second round at Southampton Oval.