Southampton Oval (Southampton Rangers won toss): Western Stars beat Southampton Rangers by 290 runs

Seth Campbell was at his devastating best with the ball, claiming a seven-wicket haul to inspire Western Stars to an emphatic rout of Southampton Rangers yesterday.

After setting a daunting target of 322 from their 50 overs, in which Tre Manders top scored with 103 from 81 balls, Campbell quickly tore through the Rangers’ order, claiming the first five wickets with just 4.4 overs played and completing his whirlwind spell at the end of the ninth over, to finish with figures of seven for 12.

Rohan Davis (two for six) and Naquan Smith accounted for the remaining wickets as a bewildered Rangers found themselves all out for a paltry 32 runs, nine of which came from extras, in just 11.5 overs.

“My batters set me up today by all doing their job, and so it was up to me to go out there and do mine,” said Campbell after helping Stars to a second successive victory from their first three matches of the new 50 Overs Premier Division campaign.

“When you’re in a spell like that you don’t ever want to give the ball up and just keep getting your overs in as quickly as possible to keep up the momentum.

“We got off to a bit of a shaky start this season losing to Cleveland, but I feel like we are finding our groove. Hopefully we can keep building from here and have a good season in our first season back in the Division.”

Having been put into bat, Stars suffered an early setback when opener Khiry Furbert (six) was caught off the bowling of Swan at the end of the second over, with just eight runs on the board.

However, Dante Wellman joined Jason Anderson (21) at the crease, and helped stabilise the innings, taking the total to 85 before the latter was trapped leg before by Dalin Richardson in the fourteenth over.

Alongside Manders, Wellman brought up his half century, going on to score 68 before being dismissed by his namesake Micah with the total standing at 121 for 3 after 18.2 overs.

Makai Young (ten) fell three overs later, bowled by Enez Taylor with 16 runs added to the score before Dionte Dowling joined Manders with the pair going on to form a 145-run partnership, which took Stars past the 250 mark.

Dowling (40) eventually fell to the bowling of Swan, with the total standing at 282 for 5 with seven overs remaining. After bringing up his century, Manders (103) followed three overs later, caught off Swan, who picked up his third wicket with Stars eight runs short of 300.

Campbell (2) proved the last wicket to fall, as Donte Brangman claimed a wicket with 46.1 overs played. Brian Hall (25 not out) and Naquan Smith (4 not out) saw out the remaining balls to set Rangers a target of 232 for victory.

Rangers’ reply got off to a disastrous start as their top three batsman, Najiyah Raynor, Keishon Wilson and Nacori Smith) were all dismissed inside the first two overs after failing to register a single run between them. Campbell accounted for two of those wickets with Wilson caught off the bowling of Naquan Smith.

Still reeling, Rangers’ wickets continued to tumble with Jaloni Albuoy (5) becoming Campbell’s third victim before he captured Micah Wellman (2) and Dalin Richardson (0) with only 4.4 overs played and just 15 runs on the board.

Refusing to be content with that fifer, Campbell trapped Makai Jacobs (6) leg before and bowled Lekan Scott (0) in the space of three balls to wrap up his seven-wicket haul before the end of the ninth over, with Rangers total at 28 for 8.

Brangman (9) came the closest to reaching double figures, but was caught off the bowling of Davis, who then claimed the final wicket of Swan (0), the sixth Rangers batter to fall for a duck.

After a pre-season filled with upheaval and the loss of key personnel, Rangers have started the season with three heavy defeats.