Somerset Bridge 304-4, Southampton Rangers 184

Upstarts Somerset Bridge stunned champions Southampton Rangers in the Western Counties Cup final at Southampton Oval, beating them comprehensively by 120 runs.

The player chiefly responsible for Saturday's crushing victory was guest batsman Curtis Jackson. Playing his first game for the White Hill-based club he struck 182 not out, spearheading the onslaught against Southampton's jaded bowling attack who registered 29 wides and six no balls.

“It was my highest score in local cricket and it was definitely one of the best innings of my life. I was happy to play a role in helping our team win,'' said the lefthander and number three bat, whose previous high this season was the 122 he scored against St. George's in Premier Division cricket while playing for Somerset.

Southampton, who on Friday afternoon had just returned from a cricket tour of England, were taunted by Bridge supporters - some joking that they were still recovering from jet lag.

But, privately, some Southampton supporters thought that their skipper Janeiro Tucker made a poor judgement call when he put Bridge in to bat after winning the toss.

However, whatever the reason was for the sluggish Southampton display, Bridge left their fans in the rare position of savouring victory, with Jackson, voted Man of the Match, getting majority of the accolades.

Before proceeding to tear the bowling to shreds with aggressive strikes, Jackson first had arrest a slide that saw Bridge wobbling at 31 for three.

Jackson and veteran guest player Arnold Manders (43) set about tearing the heart out of the bowling attack with a fourth wicket stand of 137.

When Manders was out at 168, young Dean Stephens (14 not out) rose to the challenge and played a great supporting role - the pair adding 136 for the fifth wicket to take Bridge into the 300 region before they declared with just four wickets down.

Jackson remained at the wicket undefeated when the 50 overs were completed, having struck ten fours and a massive 17 sixes.

“I don't know why I batted so well today,” Jackson said. “When I was asked to be a guest player I knew I had to put my head down and do the job. I was confident from the start but since we were in trouble I had to give it five to six overs to settle in and then it was rather smooth from there on.”

Southampton's feeble attack had little joy, skipper Tucker returning best figures with two for 60 from ten overs.

And they were to have no luck when their turn came to don the pads, although Olin Jones batting at number seven was a solid contributor with a cool 44 not out.

It was an uphill battle for Southampton throughout after openers Keith Wainwright (nine) and Kwame Tucker (15) had given them a fair start by putting on 35. But when Wainwright left, making it 35 for one, wickets fell with regularity.

Jones, who struck six fours, was the sharpest of the remaining bats to come and he and number ten teammate Ryan Belboda (23) offered resistance, adding 57 for the ninth wicket.

However, it was obvious that even with that late defiant stand Bridge would be able to hold out to the ground with the coveted trophy.

Janeiro Tucker added 26 to his team's score and Clevie Wade 12 as Southampton succumbed in 36.5 overs.

Bridge's bowling attack was led by veteran seamer Denzil Dill who took four for 31 off ten overs with two maidens, while spinner Manders took two for five off 3.5 overs and slow medium pacer Perry Maybury had two for 33 off eight overs.