Southampton Rangers blitzed their way into a bold new era, seizing the T20 Premier Division crown in style and obliterating already-relegated PHC by a staggering 128 runs.
Hearkening memories of previous dynastic runs of the mid-2000s and mid-2010s, the South Shore institution, despite being just a season removed from the First Division, manufactured a perfect 5-0 record as its stamp of authority.
Club president Darren Burchall, largely regarded as the author of the current edition of champions, noted his pleasure at the team’s success.
“I’m quite ecstatic,” said Burchall. “Three years ago, when I was coach, my first meeting with the players was to say that in three years’ time we would indeed be Premier Division champions, even though we were not going to win any trophies during my first year.
“We were just going to practice and improve our basic cricketing knowledge. And that has happened today.”
Burchall, though, was keen to assert credit for the team’s success away from himself, pointing to Head Coach Herbie Bascome as its architect.
He also moved to silence chatter that the Rangers’ all-star cast was made up of paid mercenaries.
“The key to our success is Herbie Bascome,” he added. “And along with Herbie, we’ve attracted some top-quality pay players who have all come to play for free.
“We have attracted a top-notch assistant coach to our cricket team. And the spirit that he’s imparting is all about building a team.
“Herbie’s not just helping us get good cricketers. He’s in the process of building our team into a superpower.
“So, myself and the club we’re all ecstatic. The most important thing to me is that the community is happy, wrapping its arms around us and contributing to our overall growth and our winning trophies.
“Every time we win, the community is coming back more and more uh to the club. And the club is giving back to the community, which is what success means to me.
“And I just know we can make it last if we continue to take it one game at a time. Just keep doing our best and putting our best foot forward.”
Onias Bascome and Jordan DeSilva stole the Sunday spotlight, sending the scoreboard into overdrive with their bats, while Bascome doubled as chief tormentor with the ball, bagging five wickets for fun.
Bascome unleashed an early fireworks show against PHC’s bowlers, smashing six sixes and two fours in a whirlwind 17-ball 47, while DeSilva delivered a swashbuckling 57 off just 27 balls, peppering the boundary with two sixes and five fours.
DeSilva featured heavily in an 85-run, fifth-wicket partnership with Dion Stovell [22] that made the result a foregone conclusion.
While Bascome claimed five for six as the sixth bowler used, Nyhrobi Carmichael chipped in with three for 18.
• Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the standings, Bailey’s Bay were relegated from the top flight after losing by 25 runs to Somerset.
Somerset captain Dominic Sabir led from the front, constructing a well-crafted 83 at the top of the order to enable the home side to reach an above-par total of 199.
Fellow opener Jan-Johan Nel [30] gave critical assistance, with the pair scoring 90 runs for the first wicket.
For Bay, veterans Stephen Outerbridge [55] and Rodney Trott [23] did their utmost to erect something of a challenge, only to come up well short.
• The day’s remaining Premier Division fixture saw St George’s demolish archrivals St David’s by 91 runs. Nzari Paynter led the home team’s batters with 61, while former St David’s talent Sa-Qui came back to haunt his former club, taking three for nine.
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