Often it is said "no pain, no gain".

And nobody personifies that popular adage better than Southampton Rangers skipper Janeiro Tucker.

The dreadlocked dynamo endured more than his fair share of pain over the weekend as he inspired his team to victory in the Belco Cup.

Tucker sprained his left ankle attempting to cut off a boundary against St.David's at Somerset Cricket Club during Saturday's high-scoring semi-final.

But after a brief visit to the hospital, the player returned to the crease - against doctor's advice - to dispatch Sammy Robinson over the mid-wicket boundary for six with the very first ball he faced.

From that moment onward fans began to sense that something magical was about to unfold. And they were proved right as Tucker smashed an unbeaten 39 off 25 balls, accompanied by a runner as he hobbled on a tender left ankle.

Fittingly, the skipper polished off Southampton's amazing run chase with the last of his four towering sixes over the long-off boundary. He also weighed in with two fours and earlier grabbed two wickets for 21 runs before his untimely misadventure.

Also to be credited for Southampton's memorable five-wicket win which saw St. David's score 277 for six and Rangers reply with 281 for five, were veterans Keith Wainwright (68) and centurion Stevie Lightbourne (five sixes and eight fours) who featured in a mammoth 170-run third wicket stand that swayed the momentum back in their team's favour. That partnership coupled with Tucker's heroics went a long way towards diluting an earlier breathtaking knock of 142 (ten sixes and 13 fours) from the bat of Glen Blakeney and a polished 56 from OJ Pitcher.

However, it was Tucker's determination that was the talking point long after the game ended.

"I was trying to play a bit of football on the field and really I shouldn't have tried to stop the ball with my foot," Tucker reflected.

"I stood on the ball and twisted my ankle and at that point I thought my ankle was broken."

An X-ray would prove otherwise, though the player received strict orders from the doctors to take it easy.

"They told me to stay off the foot and rest for couple of weeks," he added.

But Tucker ignored that advice as he made a triumphant return, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd as he re-entered the pitch.

"I had my ankle wrapped tightly and I figured that I wouldn't have to do any running because I had a runner. I used the runner to my advantage and concentrated solely on playing my normal game - and it was painful," said Tucker.

Equally amazing was that Tucker - crutches and all - again bore the pain during Sunday's triumph over St.George's. Although he didn't bowl, the gifted player was again at the crease when the winning runs were scored, as he finished on 11 and earlier took two sizzling catches at first slip.

"I thought to myself that if I didn't play I probably would have been second guessing myself if we had lost," he added. "I figured why not just come out and continue on playing instead of second guessing myself."

Tucker is now in a race to regain full fitness in time for Sunday's crucial league match against St.George's.

Meanwhile, top umpire Lester Harnett said it was a privilege to have played a role in Saturday's clash which will go down in the record books as "the final before the final".

Harnett was celebrating in his 29th year as an official.

"Saturday's match was one of the most inspirational for me," said Harnett.

"To think that the first team that batted (St.David's) put on that many runs and Rangers took up the task and managed to get the runs was really good.

"But it was a privilege to have been a part of that match and I really enjoyed it," added the senior official who rated Saturday's contest as one of his all-time best.