Southampton Rangers have been hit by the loss of another top player ahead of the new season with news that Derrick Brangman, last season’s BCB and Cup Match MVP, is transferring to Bailey’s Bay.

Rangers had already lost Dion Stovell and Shannon Rayner to St David’s, and now Brangman, the son of the Rangers coach Ricky Brangman, intends to be playing at Sea Breeze Oval rather than Southampton Oval this summer.

However, the transfer has not been confirmed by the Bermuda Cricket Board and Rangers are understood to be trying to block the move.

Brangman played for Bay in a Twenty20 practice match at the weekend against St David’s and the defending champions, who also finished runners-up to Rangers in the league last season, are hoping Brangman will be available for Saturday’s T20 season-opener against Willow Cuts at Sea Breeze Oval.

“It’s a good pickup, any team can do with a left-arm spinner, and a quality player like him,” Irving Romaine, the Bay coach, said.

“I’m glad he chose to come to Bailey’s Bay; the team will go from strength to strength. He’s been training and even played in our practice game.”

Bailey’s Bay also picked up Pierre Smith from Somerset to strengthen an already strong team led by captain Rodney Trott and there is cause for optimism that this could be another good season for the club.

Tre Manders is due to play on Saturday before returning to England until next month while another batsman, Terryn Fray, will switch from playing football with North Village to a full season of cricket as Bay’s vice-captain.

Malachi Jones, Zeko Burgess and Delray Rawlins are all eligible to make their debuts in this year’s Eastern Counties, with Bay set to play in the final game on August 27.

Burgess and Rawlins are still abroad in school and will miss the start of the season, but Bay should still be strong opposition during the opening weeks and could be the title favourites once they are up to full strength.

Last year they lost to Rangers three times in three different competitions, including a low-scoring match at Southampton Oval that was reduced to 41 overs a side because of rain.

“We did well last year, we came second and want to improve on that,” Romaine said.

“Unfortunately, we lost to Rangers when chasing only 89 and that cost us the league. We won the Twenty20 and if you talk about the Eastern Counties we should have won that, too, with all the circumstances there [against Cleveland].

“I wouldn’t say that is behind us, but right now we’re just focusing on playing cricket and when Eastern Counties comes around we’ll see what happens. We actually play the last game of the series so we have a long time before we get into county mode at Bailey’s Bay. Either way, we’re ready to play.”

Romaine added: “We have Tre back for one game so he’ll play the 20/20 before he goes back to school. Terryn is anxious about the season, looking forward to it, Rodney also, so it has been rather exciting around Bailey’s Bay.

“The good thing is after watching the [World] Twenty20 final [West Indies against England], it has put guys in the mood to want to play cricket. It’s the perfect timing, the season kicking off right after the West Indies won the Twenty20.

“Starting with the Twenty20 is good for the excitement, but it isn’t the best thing to start the season off with because guys are in the nets playing shots they shouldn’t be.”