St David’s and Southampton Rangers booked their spot in tomorrow’s Belco Cup final with comfortable victories in today’s semi-finals.

St David’s, the defending champions, beat Willow Cuts by 145 runs at Somerset in a matchup between last year’s finalists. The Islanders scored 228-8 from their 50 overs and then dismissed Willow Cuts for just 83 in 25.1 overs.

Fiqre Crockwell continued his rich vein of form, scoring his third straight half-century as he led the St David’s batting with 61 after they won the toss and opted to bat. Crockwell hit eight fours in his 74-ball knock at the top of the innings while Rudell Pitcher, batting at number nine, chipped in with a valuable 35 not out.

Kavon Fubler led the Willow Cuts bowling with three for 35 from ten overs while Micah Simons supported with two for 42.

Cuts never got going in their run chase, losing the wicket of Justin Commissiong in the second over without a run on the board. George O’Brien and Justin Pitcher, who shared the new ball, also shared early wickets as Willow Cuts found themselves in deep trouble at 51-5. They never recovered as only Bergon Spencer with 26, and Sheroy Fubler, who scored 22, offered any resistance.

O’Brien finished with three for 12, while Pitcher took two for 21 and spinner Del Hollis two for 26 to take St David’s through to their third straight Belco Cup final.

Southampton Rangers, too, dismissed their opponents for less than 100, after posting 217-9 and then dismissing Bailey’s Bay for 92 in 33.3 overs for a 125-run victory in the other match at St David’s.

Dion Stovell, batting at number four, scored 99 not out to lead the Rangers batting after Bay captain Rodney Trott won the toss and sent them in. Stovell hit twelve fours in his innings. The next big contribution in the Rangers innings was 63 extras, including 36 penalty runs for a slow bowling rate by Bay.

Kyle Hodsoll was the top bowler for Bay with five for 31 from ten overs while Trott and debutant Malachi Jones had identical figures of two for 18 off ten overs.

Bay, playing their first match of the season, were clearly rusty in the batting department as they struggled for runs from the outset with opener Stephen Outerbridge losing partners regularly as Jermaine Usher, Tre Manders and Tre Govia all went cheaply as Rangers had them 19-3.

Govia departed to a controversial one-handed catch at slip by Hasan Durham that he appeared to have ‘scooped’ off the ground, with Govia furious to see umpire Emmerson Carrington’s finger raised.

Trott tried to steady things in the middle order for Bay but he also lost partners regularly before being left on 36 not out. Jones, batting at number five, was dismissed by a spectacular low catch on the midwicket boundary by 48-year-old Curtis Jackson. The only other batsman in double figures was Outerbridge on 18 as four Rangers bowlers took two wickets.

Ryan Belboda took two for 10 from seven overs with two maidens and Vernon Eve two for 10 off 5.3 overs while Dion Stovell and Derek Brangman also had identical figures of two for 16.