Southampton Oval (Somerset won toss): Somerset beat Southampton by five wickets

It was supposed to be a formality, a done deal, a fait accompli. Southampton merely needed to show up at home, rapidly dismiss this week’s fodder and walk away with the win.

However, Somerset apparently never got the memo and rather than the home side celebrating a third straight triumph, they were instead left in shock, commiserating their first loss in league play this season.

Somerset’s victory would have appeared stunning considering how they were hammered a week previous at home by Willow Cuts, with their batting line-up badly exposed as frail and lacking depth. However, while this department may yet be a work in progress it proved more than sufficient to handle a Southampton bowling outfit that was managed in questionable fashion on the day.

Coming in at number five with his team chasing Southampton’s posted 168, Jordan DeSilva emerged as the main protagonist in this feature. DeSilva first rescued the visitors from a precarious position of ten for three, combining with opener Donnico Hollis to produce a 120-run fourth-wicket partnership that took his side to the brink of a once unthinkable win.

Perhaps the only true strokeplayer in the side, DeSilva took advantage of Rangers’ captain Dion Stovell’s decision to remove Kevin Tucker and Derrick Brangman from the attack despite the pair surrendering just 13 runs in the initial seven overs, while collecting three wickets between them.

Their replacements were treated with disdain by the left-hander as he carved out a marvellous half century, his 76 runs including three fours and six sixes encompassed in and equal number of balls.

“I tried to just bat, really put my head down and bat,” said DeSilva of his knock. “We were in trouble early, which has been the trend for us so far early this season, but I told Donnico we have to put a partnership together and we did that.

“The bowling changes they made actually did help us because the guy Tucker was bowling well and Brangman was taking wickets.

“They had us in trouble and as they changed bowlers it became easier to score because they had to use bowlers that did not normally bowl a lot and me and Donnico could pick the bowlers we were going to hit and when their better bowlers came on we just went for ones and twos and the tactic worked to perfection.”

“As they got frustrated the runs came easier and we were able to finish it. We knew that if we batted the overs we would win the game.”

The diminutive Hollis proved the perfect foil for DeSilva, going at a run a ball pace for his 48, which included three boundaries and two sixes.

The pair were eventually separated with the score 139 as DeSilva fell to Janeiro Tucker. Hollis likewise departed three runs later, caught and bowled by Brangman, who took four for 17 on the day.

However, any concerns regarding a late collapse were dismissed as Jacobi Robinson and Kwasi James entered the fray, the former making quick work of the final runs required, clubbing 20 runs from six balls to see his team through.

A miserable day for the home side was emphasised as the final five runs came as a result of a wide ball from Janeiro Tucker down the leg side that eluded wicketkeeper Kwame Tucker and found the rope at fine leg.

The result justified a superb all-round performance by the youthful west-enders, their enthusiasm and efficiency in the field combined with a slow wicket to curtail the normally free-scoring Rangers batsmen to a manageable total of 168 for eight from a rain-reduced overs allotment of 35.

Stovell led the home side’s batting with 47 from as many balls, but with the rest of the top order failing, theirs was always going to be a challenge to defend.

Kwame Tucker was the only other batsman to make a significant contribution, notching a quick 37 while batting at number seven, tallying three fours and three sixes.

Confirming the team effort of Somerset were the bowling statistics as five bowlers took a wicket apiece while Justin Corday grabbed a brace.

Somerset captain Jekon Edness pointed to the result as confidence building for his young side, who had been thoroughly outplayed in their previous outings.

“We just stuck to the basics, the past two performances against St David’s and Cuts we were not at full strength and did not play to our potential,” said Edness. “With Cuts we bowled well but didn’t bat well. Today we bowled well and restricted a powerful batting line-up to 168 and we were able to put it all together by batting well.

“This game should give us a lot of confidence going forward, especially as a young team where I’m the oldest in the squad at 30. We need to take this result and build on it.”