Croom, the Southern Premier League's Young Cricketer of the Year in 2022, played for Berkswell in the Birmingham League last summer while trialing with Warwickshire. He is currently in Adelaide with Glenelg.
South Wilts raised left-arm quick Josh Croom is set to play in the Cornwall Premier League for Penzance this summer - a cool 203 miles from his Salisbury home by road or 6 hours 37 minutes by rail, assuming the train drivers are not on strike !
Croom, the Southern Premier League's Young Cricketer of the Year in 2022, played for Berkswell in the Birmingham League last summer while trialing with Warwickshire. He is currently in Adelaide with Glenelg.
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Ferndown Wayfarers, who won the Hampshire Cricket League championship at the first attempt this past summer, have failed to win a place in the Southern Premier League next year.
Promoted as Division 2 runners-up behind East Woodhay in 2022, they won 12 of their 14 completed fixtures and finished top, comfortably ahead of runners-up Hursley Park in the title chase. But, whilst their ground boasts a double-lane practice nets and double sightscreens, neither the overall pitch marks for Dolmans Farm nor the existing changing and shower facilities in the pavilion have met the required SPL accreditation criteria to enable the Dorset club to go up. Leading run scorer Alex Sansom, whose 635 runs haul included centuries against East Woodhay, Purbrook and Easton & Martyr Worthy, and 27-wicket James Raftery are among the Ferndown players disappointed they won't be playing at a higher level in 2024. Hursley Park have been promoted after a seven-year exile in the HCL, but with their ECB ClubMark having lapsed some while ago, third placed Odiham & Greywell were not eligible to go up either. Odiham field four Saturday teams in the Hampshire League alongside running a successful women's team and numerous mixed junior sides. All clubs participating in the Southern Premier League are required to have ClubMark - a rule strictly enforced and in place since the competition began in 2000. It means a reprieve for Trojans, who will remain in Division 3 despite finishing second to bottom this past season. They looked down and out when Fareham & Crofton beat them in the final round of this season's matches, but now they've survived the drop. The Stoneham club has, however, been asked how it plans to improve dressing room security and enhance facilities for match day scorers. The Trojans Club has been granted planning permission for six padel tennis courts, but it is unclear when and where they will be laid out and what impact, if any, they will have on the cricket outfield. Bowling all-rounder Dave Steadman is to skipper newly promoted Sway in Southern Premier Division 2 next season.
The Ballard School sports teacher, who has taken over 60 SPL wickets in the past two years, takes over the captain's armband from opening batsman Tim Noble who had led the progressive New Forest village club for the past six years. Noble, who now has a young family, steered Sway to two promotions in three seasons, initially out of the Hampshire League as runners-up to Havant in 2021 then, after finishing third the following year, to this past season's Division 3 championship. He will still be available to open the batting next season. Sway open their SPL2 challenge at Liphook & Ripsley on May 4 before facing neighbours New Milton at Station Road. Chris Park is stepping down as captain of Bournemouth's ECB Southern Premier League side after skippering the Lions for seven of the past eight seasons.
He took on the captaincy in 2016 immediately on his return from a lengthy spell with Northampton Saints and has been a prominent player, both as a batsman and wicketkeeper, ever since. He explained: "I turned 40 in the summer and with a baby son, Archie, I no longer can commit the time it takes to captain a Premier league club. "I have loved the responsibility and challenges over the last 6-7 years, getting us back in the ECB Premier Division and maintaining that over the last 3-4 years. "I feel the time has come for me to hand over to fresh blood with enthusiasm and energy to take the club forwards again. "The young squad we have at Chapel Gate is capable of kicking on again and looking upwards in the table. The young players being 1-2 years older will improve together I’m sure." Park, a regular for Dorset for many seasons in his prime, has no intention of retiring and hanging his boots up. He added: "Young Ben Rogers has succeeded me and is doing a fine job behind the stumps, but I will be available for selection hopefully as much I can, although time with the family is very much needed also. "If it’s not the first team, I look forward to helping our seconds achieve a much needed promotion out of the Hampshire League." Lions cricket manager Jon Clutterbuck said: "Parky has been a fantastic captain for Bournemouth, totally rebuilding the side, gaining promotion, and then, in the last couple of seasons, overseeing the emergence of an exciting young cohort of players at the Club. "There's some big boots to fill, but we're confident his successor will prove equally capable." Bournemouth plan to announce Chris Park's successor in the new year. The selection of Sebastian Morgan for the England Young Lions Under-19 Cricket World Cup squad has put the proverbial icing on the cake of arguably the finest season Winchester College has enjoyed in recent times. The 16-year old Wykehamist all-rounder is the second youngest member of the England squad that flies to South Africa on January 5 to compete in the 16-nation tournament. He will be joined on the Johannesburg bound flight by Winchester-based Hampshire Academy all-rounder Dom Kelly and Canford's Eddie Jack. The trio all played in England's pre-CWC 50-over games against Bangladesh and India and will all look to shine in the warm-up matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan. England's qualifying group stage games are against Scotland, the hosts South Africa and lastly the West Indies. Captained by Hampshire's Tom Prest, England were beaten U19 CWC finalists in 2022. Next year's Under-19 tournament, originally scheduled for Sri Lanka, will be based 4,400 feet above sea level on South Africa's high veldt, with England in action in the university town of Potchefstroom. The squad has already had one intensive training session at Loughborough and will report back to head coach Michael Yardy over the new year holiday weekend. A fast medium opening bowler and emerging batsman, Morgan was a lead player in the Winchester side that won 26 of its 29 fixtures this past summer, starting by lifting the prestigious Arch trophy in the Emirates. He also featured strongly in the college's Under-17 team which reached its national age group cup final where they were beaten by Shrewsbury. Winchester College head coach Paul Gover said: "Seb came to the school when he was 13 and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with him.
"He has a fantastic work ethic and determination to improve, even though at times he may not always show you much! "Middlesex tend to look after his bowling and I have worked mainly on his batting, which I believe is becoming stronger and stronger, in my opinion he will become a genuine all rounder. "We are all absolutely delighted he is going to the World Cup. What a fantastic achievement, and opportunity to play cricket in January and February at the highest level, we wish him all the best." Away from college where he is studying A-levels in chemistry, maths and physics, Morgan plays club cricket for Ealing, helping the club win the Middlesex Knockout cup. All-rounder, Morgan, had a stellar year in the Middlesex EPG programme in 2023 with both bat and ball - scoring 508 runs at 50.80 and taking 16 wickets. Captaining Middlesex, he struck 200 not out with the bat for the Under-16s against Essex, whilst his best figures with the ball (4/34) came against Yorkshire in the ECB U16 County Cup final at Loughborough. He went on to make two late season 2nd XI appearances against Essex and struck the winning boundary in a thrilling 359-run fourth innings run chase. * Two Winchester batters, Wilf La Fontaine Jackson and Henry Nicholls, scored over 1,000 runs last summer - a rare double feat in schools cricket - while leg-spin all-rounder Ethan Baker was selected to play for the MCC Schools at Lord's. Former South Wilts pace bowler Luke Evans produced career-best figures of 7-23 for St Patrick's, his adopted Australian club, against New City in the Cricket Albury Wodogna competition on the New South Wales/Victoria state border.
New City, chasing 199-8, found Evans too hot to handle. After only six overs, they were 33-5 with the Cadnam-raised Evans celebrating all five. He continued to bowl unchanged as New City were skittled for 51, Evans finished with a best-yet 7-23 off nine overs. Five of his victims were caught behind, among them several of the batters who bagged ducks. Opener Aaron Grant (13*) carried his bat amid the carnage. Portsmouth's Fraser Hay hit an unbeaten 103 (three sixes + five fours) before retiring in Melville's 243-6 against Midland Guildford, who on their WACA Premier match by six wickets at Lilac Hill. Basingstoke & North Hants cricketer Dubs Wood notched his second half century for Newcastle City in the Northern NSW Premiership, hitting 63 (eight fours) in an emphatic first innings win over Toronto Workers. Bashley (Rydal) all-rounder George Wilson (having taken two earlier wickets) was left stranded on 33 not out as South Tamworth finished one run adrift of Redbacks 155 in the Tamworth DCCA T20. He took a tidy 2-11 in his team's previous win. Academy opener Wilf La Fontaine Jackson (below) hit 46 off 44 balls to point Sydney University in the direction of a Second Grade win over Penrith. Teammate Louis Pritchard is playing for Gordon. South Wilts opener James Degg is in the runs for Bonbeach in Melbourne's Southern Bayside League, scoring 74 in the six-wicket win over Bentleigh and 83 against Middle Park, whose ranks included Lymington pair Dan Cox and Jude Tollerfield. Opening the batting, South Wilts new boy Tom Cheater made 31 for Bayswater, who lost to Mount Waverley. Josh Croom has returned to his Glenelg roots in Adelaide and, playing in an empathic 2nd Grade win over Woodville, made 15 runs and took a wicket. Winchester based George O'Connor scored 31 for Southern District made 25 and later took the first and tenth wicket to secure a win over Prospect. Southampton Solent have retained their place in the top flight of English universities cricket next season - courtesy of a victory in a 'bowl out' staged indoors at the Ageas Bowl five months after their rain ravaged BUCS season ended !
Like all the universities, Solent's 2023 season was badly by the weather and they only managed to play three of their seven scheduled games, all of which they lost. It meant Solent finished bottom of the Premier Division and needing to beat Bournemouth, runners-up in Division 2, in a play-off to decide who played in the top flight next summer. Rain intervened again and, after a complicated series of long drawn out discussions, the Solent-Bournemouth play-off was decided by five players from each side bowling at an unguarded set of stumps in Hampshire's indoor school. Solent emerged victorious by two hits to one and will retain their place in next season's BUCS Premier Division, alongside Cambridge, Cardiff, Durham, Exeter, Leeds & Bradford, Loughborough and Oxford UCCE. Hampshire Academy opener Wilf La Fontaine Jackson suffered the heartbreak of being run out four runs shy of his second Sydney University century in the New South Wales Under-21 Poidevin-Gray Shield competition.
The immediate past Winchester College teenager had hit a six and seven fours in his 96 when he was run out in a mix-up. Nonetheless, his score helped the University to a handsome 275-4 and an eventual comfortable win over Blackdown Mounties, who were dismissed for 159, Wilf removing both openers with catches at slip. Across the Tasman Sea, Dorset's Jacob Gordon suffered a similar run-out fate - being caught an agonising 86 runs short of a century for Morrinsville Piako in the Hamilton & Waikato Premier Cup. His match against joint leaders Pukekohe was washed out as was the entire Grade programme in Adelaide and Melbourne. South Wilts teenage left-hand spin all-rounder Archie Fairfax-Ross was able to put his feet up as Mudgeeraba piled up 294-3 against Surfer's Paradise. But the former Academy youngster returned a tidy 2-18 off 11 overs with the ball. In South Africa, Burridge opener Mat Goles continued his good form with 73 in Cape Town's win over Primrose, while Hambledon leggie Justin Behrens took 3-35 in a WPCC win. Fred Rumsey, the former Somerset and England left-arm fast bowler, will be joined by cricket writer and publisher Stephen Chalke at the Hampshire Cricket Societies' Christmas lunch at the Romsey Golf Club on Wednesday lunchtime. Fred, now a sprightly 88 years of age, will recollect a life well lived. A real character, he played five times for England between 1964 and 1965 and, in a long county career with Worcestershire, Somerset and Derbyshire, took over 700 wickets, the bulk of them for Somerset. He later founded the Professional Cricketers' Association. With the countdown to Christmas well and truly on, the envelope listing the ECB Southern Premier Division 2023 Team of the Year has been opened, with champions Burridge and runners-up South Wilts each having three players chosen.
After burning the candle numerous times, the selectors have named the following XI - * Joe Collings-Wells (Burridge) 449 runs James Degg (South Wilts) 434 Harry Gadd (Havant) 358 runs Joe Eckland (Academy) 402 runs + George Metzger (Havant) 447 runs + 25 victims Ryan Scott (Lymington) 382 runs Charlie Gwynn (St Cross Symondians) 306 runs + 26 wickets Inayat Ullah (Burridge) 31 wickets Oli Southon (Burridge) 24 wickets Tom Grant (South Wilts) 37 wickets Matt Burton (South Wilts) 24 wickets On Thursday afternoon (1.45pm) and at their usual Hurn Bridge Social Club (Christchurch FC) meeting place, the Dorset Cricket Society will be discussing 'Back from the Brink,' a biography of entrepreneur and Hampshire Chairman Rod Bransgrove, who will be joined on the top table by his author, the Times of London journalist, Ivo Tennant.
Back in 1999, Hampshire's ground at Northlands Road in Southampton was put for sale for residential housing development. But the club couldn't afford to build a new cricket ground from the proceeds and were facing closure when Rod took over and saved it from bankruptcy. Two years later, a reconstituted Rose Bowl plc was relocated to its present site at West End and is now a superb location for cricket. Rod’s passion for English cricket, in combination with his vision, energy and financial support, have been the key drivers in the success of The Ageas Bowl and Hampshire Cricket over the past 24 years. His commitment to the completion of the finest cricket venue in the UK is unwavering. The book, which has a 5 star rating, shows how he spent much of his wealth creating an international venue as well as his personal and legal battles with the England and Wales Cricket Board. Why not pop along ? Prominent Hampshire Seniors left-hand batsman Geoff Beale has been elected Chairman of the National 60/70 Cricket Championship Committee, succeeding Kent's Chris Swadkin in the role. "Its a testimony to Geoff's integrity and the esteem in which he is held by member counties," said Hampshire Seniors chairman Peter Green. "It is a great honour for Geoff and reflects well on Hampshire Seniors. We wish him a smooth ride." A past Southampton University and Waterlooville captain in his regular Southern League playing days, Beale has been a prolific run scorer in Seniors cricket for the past ten years and, after a successful domestic 2015 season, was selected to play for England in the 'Grey Ashes Tests' in Australia. "I have always played my cricket in Hampshire from school to county colts, then at Southampton University, where I skippered the Wessex side in two UAU cup finals," he recalled. A [now retired] schoolteacher by profession, Beale went on to captain Waterlooville and, after a break from the game, joined the Hampshire Seniors, whom he captained until recently. He added: "My cricket was always complemented by coaching, at both school and club level. As well as still playing, I am heavily involved in the administrative side as county representative on the National Management Committee. "Its going to be a busy year ahead, with the 60s World Cup taking place in Chennai in February, followed by the 70s World Cup in England in July. "Managing expanding competitions is going to be a challenge. Seniors cricket now spans 33 counties, with over 100 teams and over 3,000 registered players - and growing ! "My main role nationally is managing the main committee and ensuring the sub committees operate in the interests of Seniors cricket." Down cricket's memory lane they went and back, numerous times, maybe more.
Fourteen retired South Hants Touring Club cricketers met for a pre-Christmas lunch at the Southwick Golf Club, several of whom hadn't seen each other for years. But what an enjoyable lunchtime they had recalling matches going back to the Sixties and Seventies, games at St Helen's on Southsea seafront, with many a story about the late Tom Cordory, a local cricket legend. Back (from left): Jimmy Eyre, Keith Maslen, John Howard, Barry Stares, Paul Flynn, Nigel Pollinger, Derek Wooton, Rick Marston. Front: Mike Barnett, Terry Lewis, John Stubbington, Ian Preston-Jones, Dennis Orton, Arthur Shaw. Bournemouth youngster Ben Rogers played a starring role as his Albion Park Eagles side made it four wins on the trot as they beat New South Wales South Coast CA rivals, Bombaderry Tigers by four wickets in a low scoring affair
Bomaderry lost four early wickets before a mid-innings revival saw them finish all out for 124. Rogers opened the Eagles innings and watched in horror as five wickets fell at the other end in the first 8 overs with less than 50 runs on the scoreboard. Showing maturity beyond his years, batsman/keeper Rogers dug in and was involved in two significant partnerships which saw the Eagles home with 20 of the 50 overs remaining. He finished unbeaten on 58 balls which included six fours and a six. Further south, Cadnam and South Wilts raised Luke Evans starred in St Patrick's dramatic four-wicket win over East Albury in the Cricket Albury Wodonga competition. Chasing East Albury's 170-6 off a rain cut 36 overs, St Patrick's were facing defeat at 133-5, with 38 required off 27 balls. Evans promptly struck the economic Cameron White (who took two wickets for three runs off his initial five overs) for two sixes and went on to hit 27 off 16 balls to get his side home with two balls to spare. Up on Queensland's Gold Coast, South Wilts youngster Archie Fairfax-Ross made 26 and got his table topping Mudgeeraba off to a solid start and an eventual 207-6 before the bottom side Runaway Bay tumbled to 93 all out. Archie wasn't required to bowl. Jake Winter, late of South Wilts, cracked an unbeaten 89 as Glenelg trounced Southern Districts by 10-wickets in South Australia's 1-day Cup, while Portsmouth's Fraser Hay made 59 of Melville's 242-9 in Perth, a total Wanneroo passed eight wickets down. Heavy rain washed out all the cricket in Melbourne, enabling Hampshire's Fletcha Middleton, Bournemouth's Connor Smith and South Wilts-bound Tom Cheater a chance to do some early Christmas shopping. Dorset's Jacob Gordon, left, is enjoying a run-strewn spell in New Zealand's picturesque Waikato Valley & Hamilton region with five scores of fifty or more helping his adopted club Morrinsville Piako reach this coming weekend's semi-finals of the Spark Premier 50-over competition. Soon after landing on New Zealand's North island he plundered consecutive 50s in a t20 tournament and has followed it up with a string of scores in 50-over matches. He made 68 against Star University, an unbeaten 54 v Weymouth, 78 in a loss to Bill Burnett Real Estate and, after taking 3-51 with his spin bowling, made another 56 for MPC in the victory over SPL Lodge. It came as no surprise when the 21-year old former Clayesmore School student was selected to play for the Waikato Valley representative team in a scheduled two-day match. "I opened the batting and had made five not out when the rains came and the match was washed out," said a disappointed Gordon, who is in New Zealand on a break from his Oxford Brookes university studies until the end of February. "Waikato Valley & Hamilton is a stunning part of the world. It's a significant location used for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, serving as a stand-in for the town of Hobbiton in the movie," Gordon explained. Gordon, who previously played Southern Premier League cricket for Bournemouth and Bashley (Rydal), has joined Surrey Championship club Banstead for the 2024 English club season. Hampshire opener struck a back-to-form 63 (seven fours) as his adopted Australian club Fitzroy Doncaster made 240-7 against Cricket Victoria Premier Division rivals Dandedong, who made 223-8 in reply.
Former South Wilts batsman Jake Winter hit an unbeaten 81 to steer Glenelg to a three-wicket win over East Torrens (216), while one-time Totton & Eling all-rounder Cameron Valente stole the show, hitting 108 for Port Adelaide (224) and then took 5-17 as Kensington sank to 83 all out. St Cross Symondians raised George O'Connor, now with Surrey Championship winners Sunbury, took 4-18 but his Adelaide club Southern Districts took a 342-run mauling from the South Australia U19s. South Wilts have signed teenage Hampshire Academy all-rounder Tom Cheater to strengthen their side for next summer's ECB Southern Premier League challenge.
A 'white ball' specialist, the 18-year old top order right-hand batsman and seam bowler was this past season's Premier League Young Cricketer of the Year, with 399 runs and 14 wickets. South Wilts skipper Ben Draper said: "We're very excited to have Tom on board. He brings a lot of talent with bat and ball with him. "He will fit in perfectly with us at South Wilts and we look forward to playing with him." Cheater is currently on a gap year winter cricket season in Australia - for Bayswater in Melbourne - while potential Bemerton team-mate Archie Fairfax Ross (pictured batting below) has just made his best score yet Down Under. Playing as a spin all-rounder for Mudgeeraba in Queensland's Gold Coast League, he top scored with 71 (nine fours/two sixes) and later took 2-34 - but opponents Queens chased down a target of 226 to win by three wickets. Winchester College all-rounder Sebastian Morgan is knocking ever loudly for a place in England's ICC Under-19 Cup squad - the 16 nation tournament having being switched to South Africa's high veldt (instead of Sri Lanka) in mid-January 2024. Opening the bowling as England defended a modest 265 against Bangladesh, Morgan took 2-47, having earlier played an important lower-order role with the bat. England dropped from 179-4 to 228-8 (Luc Benkenstein 79) - Dom Kelly having played a part in several partnerships - when 16-year old Morgan made 20 and added vital runs with Eddie Jack, the pair hoisting the tourists to a winning 265 all out. Bangladesh, whom England beat last Friday, were dismissed for 197, Kelly again rested from the bowling attack with a back strain. India's B side beat the country's A side on an adjoining ground. Arising from the vote at last week's Annual General Meeting which resulted in the administrative rule banning the payment of players to stay in place, Southern Premier League chairman Steve Vear has written to all clubs as follows:
"As I explained prior to the end of the AGM, these decisions are rightly yours to make as member clubs, and as explained in detail in my previous letter, this is not an easy area to navigate or manage. "That said, the Management Committee of the SPCL must now look at the consequences of this decision and the indictive request to effectively ‘double down’ on this rule. "To confirm the comments, I made on behalf of the Committee last Wednesday evening: 1. Any complaints or conversations regarding the payment of players by given clubs will immediately be stopped and considered closed unless there is evidence presented either immediately or soon after the allegation is made. Member clubs are reminded that any initial discussions regarding payment of players that took place between the papers being released and the AGM vote could be considered to be a breach of these rules, which was still in effect. 2. Should a member club be found guilty of paying players, an EGM will be called where there will be a motion laid to terminate the membership of the club in question, rendering all remaining fixtures void for that club for the rest of the season and beyond. 3. In the case of the player, it is likely (subject to further decisions) that the player will be banned for a minimum of one season. Foreign nationals 4. Payment of players could include any extraordinary travel expenses or coaching fees and certainly a reduction in match fees or subscriptions if this differs to what is being charged throughout your club. 5. We are aware, of course, of the varying levels of agreements and contracts that exist between clubs and foreign national players. Clubs should bear in mind, however, that the ability to pay players to play applies to all members of the club, including foreign national players. Paying them to coach or play an otherwise active part of your club however would continue to be considered in line with our rules. 6. The league would strongly advise clubs to consider creating or revise the club match fee and subscription policies so not to fall foul of point 4 above, given that as we heard some clubs wish to offer a concession scheme for those facing hardship. 7. The Management Committee will now seek to form an official sub-committee of the league to discuss this matter further and to further develop a set of policies and expectations to sit along the administrative rule. I am grateful to Steve Hatcher (South Wilts) and Chris Tona (Fawley) who have volunteered as the first two members of this sub-committee. It is my intention to chair the subcommittee myself and to require membership of at LEAST one club from each division before considering it constituted. Should you wish to volunteer to join this subcommittee, then please get into contact with either myself or our General Secretary, Adam Smith The exact terms of reference for this sub-committee will be built during the first meeting of the new group Thank you for your attention in this important matter and for your support in allowing us to carrying out your wishes to continue to find a way to apply this administrative rule. Steve Vear MBE Hampshire's cricketers will be packing their winter warmers, bobble hats and gloves and plenty of long sleeve sweaters for their opening 2014 County Championship match on April 5 - away to newly promoted Durham !
After that, its back to the sunny south coast for home matches against Lancashire and Warwickshire before a late April visit to The Oval to play Surrey, the 2023 champions. Hampshire's opening T20 match is also against Surrey on May 30 - a double header also involving the Southern Vipers. In the 50-over cup, Hampshire have been allocated home games against Northants, Essex, Somerset, Lancashire and Derbyshire. But there are currently no matches earmarked for Newclose on the Isle of Wight. Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace is Thursday's guest speaker at the Dorset Cricket Society, who meet each week at the Hurn Bridge Social Club (aka Christchurch FC) at 1.45pm. An excellent speaker, 'Farbie' has enjoyed considerable success as a coach, wining the ICC World T20 Cup and the Asia Cup with Sri Lanka in 2014, and being assistant coach to the Ashes winning England cricket team. A superb afternoon ! England Young Lions were shot out for 142 and beaten by seven wickets by India A in the latest Under-19 Quadrangular competition match - but none of the three Hampshire-based youngsters was involved.
By squad rotation, neither Eddie Jack, Dom Kelly nor Sebastian Morgan played, Kelly resting up a back strain which has riuled him out of playing in the tournament. The ICC Under-19 World Cup, in which the local trio will all hope to be involved in January, has been moved from Sri Lanka to South Africa, with England playing Scotland, the West Indies and the young Proteas up on the high veldt at smaller provincial grounds outside Johannesburg. The switch follows Sri Lanka's recent ICC suspension. Burridge run gun Mathew Goles smashed 114 as Cape Town piled up a sizeable 264-8 before bowling Western Province CA Premier Division rivals Green Point for 84.
Batting in the shadow of Cape Town's international stadium, Goles hit three sixes and nine fours in his innings. He had begun the season poorly with only 11 runs in his first for innings but is now back to his best, having made a half-century the previous week. Portsmouth's Fraser Hay joint top scored with 81 and shared a century third-wicket stand as Melville chalked up 241, but an unbeaten 162 by Western Australia's Hilton Cartwright carried South Perth to a three-wicket WACA pennant win. Hampshire's Toby Albert is fully recovered from a minor knee problem and plan to fly to Perth in early January and play the second half of the season with Joondalup. Hampshire Academy opener Wilf La Fontaine Jackson is getting a taste of first grade action in the powerful New South Wales Premier League and made 21 of Sydney University's 345-8 against Eastern Suburbs at Waverley. Alton's Zac Gadsby took three top order wickets but was unable to save Melbourne University from defeat in Victoria's Second Grade Premier. The students posted 323, but Essenden cruised to a six-wick defeat despite Gadsby's 3-54 return. Archie Fairfax-Ross bowled a crucial final as Mudgeeraba staved off defeat by Broadbeach in Queensland's Gold Coast competition. Broadbeach only needed four runs to win off the final over but Archie took a crucial wicket to save the day. It been bucketing down with rain this week, so the weekend's matches are in doubt. Portsmouth & Southsea's Matt Benfield has made two impressive performances with the bat for Washington Park in Melbourne's South East District competition. He made 73 on debut and an unbeaten 83 (eight fours + three sixes) in a last ball T20 win over Cheltenham Park. Tom Cheater took a wicket and made 24, but his Melbourne side Bayswater lost. He's been in good form in the local T20, smashing 70 (three 6s and 8 fours) off 43 balls against Knox Gardens and 33 in quick time off the Eildon Park attack. Bournemouth’s teenage keeper/batsman Ben Rogers has a New Year date at the Sydney Showground to look forward to after his glovework behind the stumps helped his adopted Greater Illawarra representative team reach the final of the New South Wales CA Plan B T20 Bash.
Rogers, who is spending the winter playing for Albion Park Eagles in Sydney's southern suburbs, snapped up four catches, a stumping and had an assist with a run out as Greater Illawarra beat 2022 champions Newcastle by 21 runs in the northern group final in Tamworth, a cool 7-half hour coach ride away. Rogers’ batting skills weren’t needed but his glove work impressed the locals as he snared four of the top five Newcastle batsman and finished things off in the final over with a diving catch to complete a surprise victory for his side The Grand Final is due to be played at the Showground on January 17, as a prelude to the Big Bash League fixture between Sydney Thunder and the Melbourne Renegades. Rogers continues his Greater Illawarra action in the NSW McDonalds Country Championship, with three 50-over games against North Coastal and Central Northern zones before a rematch against Newcastle. Top order batter, Ali Orr, has joined Hampshire from Sussex ahead of the 2024 season, on a multi-year deal. He has made 51 appearances across the formats for Sussex, but missed a large chunk of the past summer season with hand injuries. In all formats, the Eastbourne-based left-hander accumulated 2,810 runs at an average of 39 for Sussex, including six centuries. His record in the one-day format is particularly notable, with 670 runs in 14 matches at an average of 47.85. A Loughborough University graduate, Orr’s debut came in June 2021 in the County Championship against Yorkshire, in which he scored 67. He recorded his maiden First Class century soon after against Kent, making 119 from 254 balls. His real breakthrough came in the 2022 season, demonstrated by his 206-run outing against Somerset in the Royal London One-Day Cup in August 2022, which was shortly followed by an impressive 198 just a month later, this time in red ball format against Glamorgan. |
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