Cricket’s most controversial dismissal cost holders Southampton Rangers victory in today’s Champion of Champions semi-final at St John’s Field, where Bailey’s Bay clinched a thrilling four-run victory.

Coolidge Durham, called on to bowl after Derrick Brangman, captain Rodney Trott and Malachi Jones had all bowled their allotted ten overs, ran out non-striker Vernon Eve after he stepped out of his crease when Durham was in his delivery stride.

Chasing a modest 138 posted by Bay, ten-man Rangers had their last pair at the crease with Eve and teenager Tayo Smith easing Rangers to victory after adding eight runs during the stand. However, they fell just short as Bay fought back to dismiss Rangers for just 134 in 42.2 overs.

Both batsmen had earlier survived confident appeals off Durham’s bowling, first when Bay had an appeal for a run out against Eve at the bowler’s end turned down. Then Bay appealed unsuccessfully for a catch behind as tension began to mount during the close finish.

“In this situation I felt we had a couple of hard decisions so my team encouraged me to do what we had to do,” Durham said. “It was a cup game and may be looked at as outside the character of the game, but the new format of the game is built and structured for more excitement with the 50-over and 20-over games. “These type of things you have to be prepared for because the game is fast and furious.”

The dismissal is in the rules but is considered unsporting. Some bowlers stop and warn the non-striker if he is “backing up too far”.

“I didn’t really want to do it but they are a big rival of ours,” Durham said. “It was just the energy at the moment.

“I wouldn’t say I was a hero, I was just riding off my team’s energy and what we built throughout the year. There are no hard feelings, I hailed up their team after the game, shook everybody’s hands. It’s sports.”

Malachi Jones, the subject of transfer speculation this week, was the top performer for Bay against his former team, first scoring 58 after losing opening partner Terryn Fray in the fourth over with only six runs on the board. Sinclair Smith departed three overs later at 20 for two, before a third wicket stand of 69 between Jones and captain Rodney Trott carried Bay to 89 for three after 20 overs when Trott departed for 24.

Rangers fought back to take the last seven wickets for just 49 runs, with Jones fourth out on 105 for four after hitting five sixes and a four. Kyle Lightbourne, brought in for his first game because the Rangers’ ranks were depleted, claimed impressive figures of four for six from six overs of slow left arm, with three maidens.

Lightbourne was the sixth bowler used by Rangers and claimed the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth wickets before spinner Dion Stovell trapped last man Jordan Burgess leg before to end the innings and finish with figures of two for 23 from 7.3 overs.

Rangers were cruising to victory at 38 for two after 13 overs at lunch in reply, but when Brangman took a good return catch to dismiss Kwane Tucker in the first over after the resumption, the game remained nicely balanced.

Stands of 31 and 44 for the next two wickets had Rangers seemingly cruising to victory at 115 for five. However, the match took another twist when Stovell was caught by Trott for a top score of 28 and Allan Douglas, their other guest player, was caught and bowled by Jones for one to make it 117 for six.

A good catch inches off the ground at mid-on by Stephen Outerbridge removed Ricardo Brangman for 22 to make it 123 for seven. Lightbourne was brilliantly stumped down the leg side by wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith three runs, leaving last pair Eve and Smith to try to score the 13 runs needed for victory.

Jones also led the Bay bowling with four for 20 from his ten overs while Zeko Burgess took two for 40 off nine and Durham one for eight off 2.4 overs.