They won it the hard way - but they won it!

Front-runners for virtually the entire Premier League season, Southampton Rangers duly embraced the title of champions yesterday but not without being made to sweat and fight to the death for a one-wicket triumph over Willow Cuts at Somerset Cricket Club.

There was high drama from start to finish as Janeiro Tucker's team bundled out Cuts for 163 in 45.2 overs - after Cuts were coasting at 103 for two wickets - and then scraped home with last man, Gary Williams, smashing the winning boundary to long-off to spark jubilation in the Rangers camp.

The two teams - both desperately needing points for missions on either end of the league table - provided a gripping affair as the final-round league match played out before a vocal crowd.

Knowing Western Stars were just nine points behind them, Rangers went in hunt of enough points to win their first Premier title since 1999. Bowling out Cuts earned them five bonus points and they needed to reach at least 125 in their run chase to get another two bonus points, thereby assuring themselves of the championship even if Stars secured the maximum 16 points in their city fixture against St. George's.

It looked a foregone conclusion but it was hardly so. A never-say-die approach by Cuts plus some cavalier strokes by Rangers saw the latter tottering on 69 for five and then 93 for seven. However, a match-winning partnership of 51 between veteran Clevie Wade and Rohaan Simons guided Rangers to 144 - and past the crucial 125 - before Simons perished.

Still, a lot remained at stake as Cuts, trying to stave off relegation, gave little quarter. Their bowlers generally kept things tight and were supported by some splendid fielding.

When Reggie Tucker Jr trapped Dwia Blyden leg before with Rangers needing another 12 runs with a single wicket in hand, it was any team's game. Williams - viewed as a genuine number 11 - kept his calm, despite some edgy moments, to belt three fours, including the final shot of the match off fast bowler Trevor Corday.

"It was hard today but throughout the season we played well. This is lovely! We have a few players who may call it quits after this season so I wanted them to go out with a bang," declared Rangers skipper Janeiro Tucker, sipping some `bubbly' afterwards.

Bowled by Sidney Simmons for 14, Tucker noted Rangers had exemplified true team effort all season, particularly at crunch times. Yesterday, it was the off-breaks of Olin Jones (five for 16 runs off ten overs) and then the maturity of veteran Clevie Wade - in tandem with Jones, Simons and Williams - that saw Rangers' batting through the storm.

The 43-year-old Wade (34 not out) said he was determined to stay at the wicket and gather "the ones and twos" once he had a partner. He termed Rangers' league success "a sweet victory which we deserve because we showed real character and determination".

Williams and Jones were equally delighted to see reward for weekends of hard work. As for his last-ditch heroics with the bat, fast bowler Williams said: "I was a little nervous but once I hit my first boundary I felt everything was all right. They call me `brain dead' and say I don't listen but that's me. I like to play my strokes."

Rangers' thrill of victory was Cuts' agony of defeat and now Richard Basden's team require almost maximum points from their make-up match against Cleveland to avoid relegation.

Their task has been made all the more difficult by the other relegation-threatened team, Somerset, securing 16 points againstcellar-placed PHC yesterday.

"We should have scored a lot more runs after being 100 for two. It wasn't good cricket in the middle order but I am quite pleased with my guys. We fought to the end.

"Now we have to win against Cleveland and we're going to do it," said Basden.

Meanwhile, the threat from Stars was nullified by St. George's who defeated the defending champions by three wickets at St. John's Road.

In the First Division, Devonshire pipped Flatts for a place in the top flight next season. Devonshire, who finished runners-up to Bailey's Bay, won at home against lowly Somerset Bridge. Flatts were denied a chance of securing maximum points as Police failed to show for their clash, Flatts therefore garnering only six points for a victory by default.