Bailey’s Bay and St David’s, the two tips for the Premier Division league title, got off to winning starts yesterday in the 50-overs league, while Western Stars celebrated their return to the top flight by beating Willow Cuts in the other match.

Bay and St David’s were comfortable winners at Sea Breeze Oval and Lord’s, Bay thrashing league champions Southampton Rangers by 143 runs after Janeiro Tucker won the toss and sent Bay in.

It should have been a good toss to win after Saturday’s heavy rain left the wicket damp in the morning and delayed the start by 90 minutes, reducing the match to 43 overs-a-side.

However, after losing an early wicket, Bay recovered when Terryn Fray and Rodney Trott, the Bay captain, shared in a century stand for the second wicket.

Trott scored 71 before retiring hurt, while Fray contributed 39 as Bay reached 245 for five in their allotted overs.

In reply Rangers scored 102 and only reached the 100 mark because of a last-wicket stand of 35 between Hasan Durham and Ryan Belboda after Bay ripped through their top order to have them nine for four after just eight overs, and then 67 for nine when Durham and Belboda came together.

Zeko Burgess, playing in his first match after returning from school this week, and Nyrobi Carmichael each claimed three wickets for Bay, who meet Cleveland in the Belco Cup semi-finals on Saturday.

Bay have managed four wins already this campaign and are still not at their strongest.

Zeko Burgess, the seam bowler, and Sinclair Smith, the Bay wicketkeeper, played their first matches yesterday while bowlers Kyle Hodsoll and Lateef Trott could be in line for their first games this weekend.

That is enough to put fear into Rodney Trott, let alone the other teams in the Premier Division.

“It’s putting fear in me because I have a headache every Thursday when trying to pick the team,” Trott said.

“Kyle’s available next weekend, Lateef just came back [Regiment duty] and Tre [Manders] is back in two weeks and I tell the guys every week that performance means everything.

“If you perform then you don’t have to worry about these guys coming in and playing. They are three of our better players and are going to have to work extremely hard, too. Right now everything is going good.”

St David’s also warmed up for their Belco Cup semi-final fixture against holders Rangers by beating Cleveland County by 178 runs at Lord’s. The home team posted 291 for nine thanks to 80 from stand-in captain Fiqre Crockwell and 50 from Shea Pitcher while Kevin Hurdle hit a valuable 41 not out in the tailend.

Dennis Musson, the Cleveland captain, and Allan Douglas Jr both claimed four wickets for Cleveland, while Douglas also led the way with the bat, smashing five sixes and two fours in an aggressive knock of 42, with 38 of those runs coming in boundaries.

Stars, last season’s First Division champions, are determined to be a competitive force in the Premier Division. Yesterday they beat Willow Cuts by 43 runs in a late starting match that was reduced to 25 overs-a-side at St John’s Field.

Stars scored 155 for eight with Treadwell Gibbons leading the way with 54, while Temiko Wilson scored 44. Dean Stephens claimed four for 17 from five overs to lead the Cuts bowling.

Stephens was also top scorer for Cuts with 48 as the West Enders fell short in their reply, posting 112 in 22.2 overs. Brian Hall claimed three for nine and young spinner Jaiden Manders three for 15.