Connor, 18, has begun with home domestic season well with 42 runs and two wickets for Bournemouth at South Wilts last weekend and six wickets in Dorset's National Counties T20 group matches against Devon and Cornwall. Lymington await at Chapel Gate tomorrow.
Teenage Bournemouth left-arm spin all-rounder Connor Smith has been named the Victoria Turf Division 1 Player of the Year following his winter in Australia with the west Melbourne club Altona North, where he made 291 runs and took 23 wickets.
Connor, 18, has begun with home domestic season well with 42 runs and two wickets for Bournemouth at South Wilts last weekend and six wickets in Dorset's National Counties T20 group matches against Devon and Cornwall. Lymington await at Chapel Gate tomorrow.
0 Comments
Tom Berzins cracked 124 as Sparsholt ran amok, totalling 342 against depleted Havant II in Southern Premier Division 3 at Locks Lane. He hit a six and 17 fours, enjoying a century-plus stand with Brad Dawes (68) while Jack Fuller (35) and Matt Robbins (32) played useful support roles. Left-arm spin all-rounder Steve Matthews, with a 3-56 return and top score of 47, was Havant's keynote player, while Ollie Perkins (37) helped the reply to 161. Callum Doran (3-27) and Fuller (3-27) shared six of the Havant wickets. Near neighbours Hursley Park reached 24-0 but lost four wickets for two runs to Fawley pair Bailey Parratt (4-22) and Raminder Singh (2-22) at Holbury. Kumo Sharma (34) looked on with horror from the non-striker's end. Henry Sparks (20) rallied, leaving Oli Green (42) to shepherd the tail to 125. He became one of three victims for Newcastle NSW leggie Conor Gibson (3-15). Openers Callum Earl (42) and Sufian Munir (26) put 57 on the board before Gibson chipped in with 29. Tony Richman (3-12) enjoyed success with the new ball as Paultons reduced Fareham & Crofton to 15-4 before dismissing them for 97 (Tom Adams 30*). Rob Pike made 34 as Paultons eased to a seven-wicket win. ![]() Max Allen [left] starred in a century opening partnership with Tom Pearce as South Wilts II celebrated a second consecutive Division 3 victory. Allen hit three sixes and eight fours in his 87 and alongside Pearce (36) provided South Wilts with the platform from which they were able to post 240 and beat hosts Hook & Newnham Basics II by 84 runs. Buoyed by a 122-run start, South Wilts lost five wickets for 20 runs (Luke Burgess 4-47) before Alex Vincent (31), George Nash (20) and Nick Partridge (18) consolidated affairs. Mulhammad Rizwan (42) and Jaiden Hall (25) gave Hook a 73-run start, but Pearce (3-17) broke through with his left-arm spin as four wickets fell cheaply. Kevin Light (36) and Tom Dyer (21) halted the slide but Hook's last six wickets fell for 28 runs, three of them to William Langdown (36) as the innings ended at 156 all out. Syed Mahmood took 5-14 as Parley lost their last six wickets for only four runs in plunging to 73 all out and a 70-run defeat by Trojans, who successfully defended 143 (Ananthu Ajayan 37). Earlier, Marcus Bragginton took 6-14 off ten overs, six of which were maidens. The scheduled ECB Southern Premier Division match between Burridge and the Hampshire Academy on Saturday has been cancelled as the Botley Road ground remains unplayable due to bad weather.
Experienced left-arm seamer Jon Grasham (pictured) took 5-26 as Sway strangled a 73-run win over Southern Premier Division 2 neighbours New Milton in the first ever league match between the New Forest clubs.
Sway, last season's SPL3 champions, had to work hard to post 184-9. Opener Will Millard (36) was well set until caught by New Milton skipper Ed Bartlett off the bowling of Joe Hall (2-22). Recovering from 79-5, Sway were more than grateful for the ten boundaries conjured up by forceful middle order pair Hugh Bernard (31) and Jay Dehning (36). Bartlett returned to finish with 3-32. New Milton never recovered from an appalling start (13-3) with openers Adams and Bartlett removed by Jon Waller (1-17) and Dave Steadman (2-19) without troubling the scorers. Five visiting batsmen succeeded in crawling into the teens and then departed with the run rate barely reaching over two an over. The ever-accurate Richard Thomas chipped in with 2-9 with Grasham bagging five of the last 6 wickets. New Milton made 111 in painful 44 overs. Ewen Mansford played a key role in Portsmouth & Southsea's handsome 160-run win over Hartley Wintney, scoring 41 and later taking 3-16. Pompey die hard Ollie Kanavan (53) top scored in the P & S total of 246-7. Hartley Wintney rolled over for a dismal 86. Henry Glanfield was the major influence with bat and later ball as Hambledon recorded a second consecutive win beating Southern Premier Division 2 rivals Fair Oak by 28 runs at Lapstone Park. The player Norway appear to have forgotten made 46 - comfortably the top individual score of the match - before taking four Oaks wickets with his seamers. Fair Oak began with a fine bowling display, but couldn’t replicate the feat with the bat, being dismissed for 100 after Hambledon were 128 all out. Strike pair Ben Smith (2-32) and James Gradwell (2-17) had the visitors in the mire at 32-4, but the visitors were steered into calmer waters by a stand of 71 between fifth-wicket pair Henry Glanfield (46) and Spencer le Clercq (22). The Oaks spinners then took charge, Rhys Oxley taking 3-28 and Lewis Goodyear 3-22 Hambledon being dismissed for what appeared a below-par 128 all out, but which turned into a competitive one taking into account the slow outfield. Oaks never really got going with the bat. Glanfield underlined his importance to Hambledon with for 4-15 while fledgling Fair Oak captain Harry Reed, opening the innings, made a watchful 22 of the first 60 runs before being seventh out. Matt White carried on the resistance and finished unbeaten on 30, but of the rest only last man Lewis Goodyear made it into double figures. The tenth-wicket pair put on 31 before the innings ended at 100 not out. James Restell (2-20) and spinner Ollie Bembridge (2-18) did well with the ball for Hambledon. Jack Budd (59) and former Hampshire all-rounder Sean Ervine (58) hit fifties as Langley Manor chalked up a healthy 238-7 before dismissing Gosport Borough for 172 at Privett Park, where Greg Kitchen (5-36) responded. Jordyn Dore took 5-36 for the Borough, while little Tommy Spencer sent down a tidy 2-18 for the Manor. Rob Nicklin hit an undefeated 83 to guide Liphook & Ripsley to a four-wicket win over St Cross Symondians II at the Green Jackets, where Harry Trussler (40) top scored in the hosts 161.
Two points separate the top four clubs who have each won their opening two Southern Premier Division 1 matches. Sarisbury Athletic (44), Portsmouth (43), Hook & Newnham Basics and recently relegated Totton & Eling (42 points each) have emerged unscathed from the initial two rounds of matches. One of those unbeaten tags will go when Portsmouth visit Southern Gardens on Saturday before hosting Sarisbury Athletic in a real heavyweight joust on Southsea seafront over the bank holiday weekend. Sarisbury collected their second maximum 22-point haul with a 97-run win at Old Tauntonians & Romsey, who frittered their wickets away as they yielded to a double dose of left-arm spin. Sarisbury's 226-8 owed much to Hook & Newnham Basics raised Jack Robson (73) who held things together after spin pair Matt Bampton and Joe Vaughan held the visitors to 101-4, Aussie Kaiden Cookson (30) making an impact. Robson's 55-run stand with Josh Williams (28) proved significant, as did Archie Pascoe's quick-fire 30 OTs sank to 54-6 before Vaughan's 44 gave their reply some substance, but the twin left-arm spin threat of Cookson (3-27) and Sam Hill (3-26) prevailed has the hosts were dismissed for 129. ![]() Tom Lewis [left] produced his best Southern Premier League figures as Portsmouth dismissed Andover for 136 before completing a comprehensive nine-wicket victory at London Road. The former South Wilts offie cut into Andover's top order with an impressive 5-17, with only Glyn Treagus (37) and Matt Hooper (30) able to make an impression. Carlin Joy (60) and James Christian (47) greedily polished off the target to give Portsmouth a second win and inflict a second consecutive defeat on the Lions, who were runners-up to Basingstoke & North Hants in SPL1 last summer. Roy Honeybone picture. Charlie Neville carried his bat through the entire innings as Hook & Newnham Basics chased down a Rowledge total of 196-7 to win their Southern Premier League Division 1 match by three wickets with 23 balls to spare.
He hit only two fours in an undefeated 58 off 127 deliveries, but was relieved of any pressure when Rupert Armstrong (45) and Jack Murrell (27 not out) each hit the ball out of the ground three times. Earlier, Murrell and Lewis Watts set about hitting an excellent length in helpful School Road seam bowling conditions but, after Max Martin had fallen early on, Jonty Sebborn (47) and and Ollie Baker (34) added a gutsy 71 for the second wicket. Just as the pair fought through the tricky conditions, the spin of Anik Divecha (4-29) did not allow the Rowledge score to gain momentum. Divecha blitzed through the middle order and set Rowledge back as they looked to be positive. A determined Rowledge didn't give up and through Olly Ryman (40 not out) and Australian Justin Felsch (38) ensured the hosts posted a competitive 196-7. Rowledge got off to a great start when Hugh Croft took a smart catch off Olly Ryman, and then Max Martin had player/coach Usman Ijaz caught behind by Ben Wish to leave Hook 42-2. Aussie spinner Justin Flesch settled into a teasing spell, and got just reward removing Matt Buckingham. The aggressive Armstrong (45) partnered Neville in a stand of 83 for the fourth wicket and Hook were in the driving seat at 150-3 after the second drinks break. Martin (5-26) rattled Hook with four wickets in ten balls, including Armstrong and Josh Buckingham to celebrate a maiden SPL five-wicket haul. Hook still needed 40 with three wickets left when Murrell smacked 29 off 19 balls and get the visitors across the line. Sony Reynolds smacked a quick-fire 64 but at 84-7 his salvo came too late to save Waterlooville from a 27-run defeat by Totton & Eling at Southern Gardens. He struck two sixes and six boundaries as Ville closed 163 all out (Archie Reynolds 27) in response to Totton's 200, which was largely based around opener Joe Baker (45) and down the order knocks by Josh May (27), Brighton Mugochi (22) and Rajat Parmar (20). Archie Reynolds took 3-45. Calmore Sports worked hard to get Loperwood Park fit for Ventnor's visit, but fought a losing battle against the ground's high water table. The Civil Service Sports Council National cricket team is looking for players of premier league quality to joint their team.
They play against the Armed Forces national sides and, occasionally, the MCC. This season games are being played at Totton and Eling CC and Aldershot. If you are interested in representing the Civil Service then please contact Lee Harrop [email protected] for details. To check eligibility for the CSSC please check here https://store.cssc.co.uk/eligibility. The www.vimpsatthecrease.com cricket website is continuing to back and promote the Southern Premier League through its Cricketer of the Week awards.
Hampshire Academy batsman/wicketkeeper Joe Eckland is the round 2 winner after scoring 141 and featuring in the double-century third-wicket partnership with Andrew MacEwen against Havant at the Park. Lymington lie anchored to the ECB Southern Premier Division basement with only six points to their credit after an eight-wicket mauling from neighbours Bashley (Rydal) at the Sports Ground.
Another batting collapse saw them tumble from 80-2 to 123 all out - eight wickets falling for 43 runs, a worse statistic than against the Hampshire Academy a week earlier when eight batsmen were rolled out for 61 runs. Lymington began positively enough, but at 30 lost two wickets in two balls to left-armer James Trodd (2-32), Ryan Scott getting a first baller. The Dhariwal brothers Jovan (31) and Kamran (27) progressed the score to 80, only to depart in quick succession. Cue another collapse with Scotland & Sussex left-armer Brad Currie (3-13), so often Lymington's nemisis in the past, creating middle-order inroads. Josh Royan (17), fresh from hitting the winning boundary for Oxford in the T20 Varsity match in midweek, was the first of two late victims for Michael Porter (2-1) as Lymington's last four batters managed a mere nine runs between them. Jacob Gordon, back in the Bashley camp to be closer to Dorset cricket, struck a quick-fire 28, while fellow opener Will Tripcony made 38 before becoming a second victim for former Canford gloveman Robbie Hemmings. Michael Porter, with 38 not out, and Jack Stearman completed the formalities. Joe Eckland and Andrew MacEwen hit separate hundreds during a double century partnership as the Hampshire Academy posted a towering 323-4 before inflicting Havant's heaviest ever competitive defeat. Ravaged by player departures and general unavailability, Havant were dismissed for 111 and beaten by a massive 212 runs. A weekend of woe saw Havant's two Southern Premier League sides concede 665 runs - Sparsholt hit their second team attack for 342 - and concede their ECB national club championship tie against Portsmouth and a scheduled 3rd XI Hampshire League match with the Southsea club. Ironically, the Premier Division match at Havant Park began brightly with Richard Jerry having Sam Ashman nicking behind for a fourth ball duck and Finn Gordon being caught off Chris Stone. Academy 19-2. King Edward VI starlet Ben Mayes (36) restored some balance, but after he fell to a return catch by Richard Hindley the Academy ran amok. Eckland and MacEwen, the Bradfield College batsman/keeper, carved out a fourth-wicket stand of 207 - Eckland's 141 containing 13 fours and four maximums, and MacEwen nine boundaries in his 108.
One bright spot to emerge from Havant's 111 all out was the 49 made by 18-year old Australian Louis Clayton, who is playing locally on the recommendation of Hampshire & England legend Robin Smith, who coaches him in Perth, WA, where he plays for Subiaco Floreat. Teen spinner Sam Davis ripped through Havant's tail with a 4-17 return. Poole Town's Joe Wilson has dashed back from watching Virat Kohli & Co at the IPL to lead Dorset in Wednesday's opening ECB 50-plus County Championship derby against Hampshire at Blandford CC, Park Road, Blandford Forum, 1pm.
Wilson was a corporate guest at Dharamshala where Kohli lit up the IPL match between Punjab Kings and RCB with a brilliant 92. "It was an incredible experience, one I'll never forget," he said. Dorset 50s: Alex Allum, Eral Anderson, Mike Collinge, Gary French, Steve Gerety, Martin Miller, Jim Ryall, Rob Snow, David Trotter, Sean Walbridge, Joe Wilson. Hampshire Seniors: Stu Shapland, Richard Wilson, Gary Clapham, Darren McBride, Andy Parratt, Brendan Fourie, Asad Abas, John Webster, Allan Hurst, Shayne Freemantle, Nick Gargaro. The match is being streamed live. South Wilts lost eight wickets for 41 runs in a catastrophic collapse which cost them victory over Bournemouth in their weather delayed start to the ECB Southern Premier League season. Openers Tom Cheater (48) and James Degg (32) put on 70 and after another positive knock by Harry Broderick (45), South Wilts were 146-2 and seemingly set to overhaul Bournemouth's total of 205 But when Broderick was bowled by Ollie Breckon (3-32), the South Wilts innings fell to pieces. Archie Fairfax-Ross and Ben Draper were among those to perish as the next five wickets fell for only 16 runs - two to left-arm spinner Connor Smith (2-22) - as South Wilts tumbled to 162-7. Simon Woodruff (2-40) took two of the last three wickets to fall, Robbie Pack's one-handed catch to remove Aussie Ryan Freeman being Bournemouth's champagne moment.
The season may only be in its infancy but it's quickly become apparent that St Cross Symondians are probably going to be the team to beat in ECB Southern Premier League cricket this summer. They look a pretty formidable outfit with plenty of squad depth and after back-to-back Premier Division wins and an ECB national club championship victory brace, the season has begun on a hugely promising note. They followed up an eight-wicket Matt Howarth inspired win over Alton with a crushing 107-run defeat of Basingstoke & North Hants. Then beat Wiltshire-based WEPL outfit Burbage & Easton Royal by six wickets to progress in the NCKO. Beaten by Burridge in last seasons title decider, St Cross contrived to find themselves in early strife at 46-4 after being put into bat at May's Bounty - the out-swing of Joe Oates (4-27) accounting for two of the three wickets to fall with the total stuck on 46. Left-hander Charlie Gwynn (50) and Guernsey all-rounder Matt Stokes, with 72, turned things around in a near-century fifth wicket stand which eased St Cross to 141-5.
Gwynn, with two sixes and six boundaries, was going nicely until he slapped a head-high catch to mid-wicket, but Stokes quickly found an ideal partner in emerging teen prospect Ben Foster, who went on to score a maiden Premier Division fifty. Stokes, who will become an enormous asset to St Cross when his Channel Islands teaching commitments allow, sent a return catch to Ash Neal at 207-5. That gave centre stage to Foster, who played some handsome shots - he struck a six and five boundaries in a run-a-ball 51 - before holing out on the boundary. St Cross closed at 254-9. Basingstoke slipped to 33-3 - Gwynn twice taking catches off Stokes (2-36) - but were revived by an enterprising stand between George Metzger (49) and Dubs Wood (35), who added 71. But with the Basingstoke reply at 104-3, a misunderstanding led to Wood being run out. Any prospect of a Bounty win, however unlikely, disappeared. Spin pair Callum Willock (3-35) and Gwynn (2-22) sliced through the Stoke lower order to leave the Bountymen 147 all out and nursing a heavy defeat on their Premiership return. Jack Bransgrove took five wickets and Wilf La Fontaine Jackson hit a half-century as St Cross Symondians cruised past a Burbage & Easton Royal total of 154-9 to win their ECB national club championship first round tie by six wickets with ten overs to spare.
Bransgrove took 5-26 as the WEPL visitors to the Green Jackets collapsed from 99-2, Charlie Gwynn taking 2-22. La Fontaine Jackson (50) led the response, while Bransgrove and Gareth Schreuder each made 38. Next up for St Cross is a home tie against WEPL giants Bath (Green Jackets, May 26), who brushed aside Basingstoke & North Hants at North Parade. Ash Neal and George Metzger both made 40 for Basingstoke, who sank from 100-2 to 174 all out. Bath creaked at 24-3 after a double strike by Ryan Connor, but Dorset's Sam Young hit eight sixes in a blistering 83, 72 of which came in boundaries. Burridge are due to host Lansdown next Sunday - that's if they can get their Botley Road ground fit for play - but Havant and South Wilts have conceded. Portsmouth go to Bushy Park to play Middlesex County League heavyweights Teddington. Champions Burridge got their ECB Southern Premier League title defence up and running with a nail-biting one-run win over Alton at the Jubilee Ground.
All three results were possible when teenager Francis Moore began the 50th and final over with Alton's last pair at the crease and the Brewers total at 199-9 - two runs shy of overhauling the visitors' 200 all out. As 'Thomas the Tank Engine' chugged past on the Watercress Line, billowing smoke and soot all over the outfield, so everything hinged on Tom South (26). He had lost four partners as Alton dipped from 156-5, but had eked out 19 precious runs with last man Zach Gadsby. South had been dropped at mid-wicket shortly before, but with victory in sight, the left-hander went to hook the first ball of Moore's final over - only to nick it into gloves of one-time Lymington wicket-keeper Ed Molloy, who snared his third catch of the innings. It was heartbreak for South - and Alton, who cemented their reply around a half-century by Dan Harris (56) and were looking comfortable at 137-3 while youngsters Sam Ruffell (24) and Ben Rolfs (26) were at the crease. But when Moore (3-20) dismissed the pair, Alton shuddered losing five wickets for 25 runs, Inayat Ullah (3-36) doing the damage as the Brewers lurched to 162-8. Earlier, Burridge fell from 88-1 - Joe Collings-Wells (39) and Jack Paskins (24) repairing the early loss of Cape Town run gun Matt Goles - to 118-7 (South 3-34) before the lower-order got them out of trouble. Burridge's last four Oli Southon (20), Dan Stancliffe, Ed Molloy and Sully White all scored important runs as Burridge rallied to make 200 and an additional batting bonus point. ECB SOUTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE
Bournemouth 205 (Van Gool 57, Smith 41, Robinson 33, Fairfax-Ross 3-41) South Wilts 187 (Cheater 48, Broderick 45, Degg 32 , Breckon 3-32). Bournemouth won by 18 runs. Burridge 200 (Collings-Wells 39, Paskins 24, South 3-34) Alton 199 (Harris 56, Rolfs 26, South 26, Ruffell 24, Moore 3-30, Ullah 3-36). Burridge won by one run. Hampshire Academy 323-4 (Eckland 141, MacEwen 107, Mayes 36) Havant 111 (Clayton 49, Davis 4-17). Hampshire Academy won by 212 runs. Lymington 123 (J Dhariwal 31, K Dhariwal 27, Currie 3-18) Bashley (Rydal) (Tripcony 38, Porter 36*, Gordon 28). Bashley (Rydal won by eight wickets. St Cross Symondians 254-9 (Stokes 72, Foster 51, Gwynn 50, Oates 4-27, Wood 3-41) Basingstoke & North Hants 147 (Metzger 49, Wood 35, Whillock 3-35). St Cross Symondians won by 107 runs. DIVISION 1 Andover 136 (Treagus 37, Hooper 30, Lewis 5-17) Portsmouth 140-1 (Joy 60, Christian 47). Portsmouth won by nine wickets. Rowledge 196-7 (Sebborn 47, Felsch 38, Baker 34, Divecha 4-29) Hook & Newnham Basics 197-7 (Neville 58*, Armstrong 45, Murrell 29*, Martin 5-26). Hook & Newnham Basics won by three wickets. Sarisbury Athletic 226-8 (Robson 73, Cookson 33, Pascoe 30, Williams 28) Old Tauntonians & Romsey 129 (Vaughan 44, Cookson 3-27, Hill 3-26). Sarisbury Athletic won by 97 runs. Totton & Eling 200 ( Baker 45, May 26, Mugochi 22, Reynolds 3-45) Waterlooville 163 (S Reynlds 63, A Reynolds 27, Parmar 4-25). Totton & Eling won by 27 runs. Cancelled: Calmore Sports v Ventnor, ground unfit. DIVISION 2 Hambledon 128 (Glanfield 46, Oxley 3-28) Fair Oak 100 (White 30*, Glanfield 4-55). Hambledon won by 28 runs. Langley Manor 238-7 (Budd 59, Ervine 58, Dore 5-36) Gosport Borough 172 (Kitchen 52). Langley Manor won by 56 runs. Portsmouth & Southsea 246-7 (Kanavan 53, Mansford 41, Hammond 3-46) Hartley Wintney 86 (Mansford 3-16). Portsmouth & Southsea won by 160 runs. Sway 184-9 (Dehning 36, Millard 36, Bernard 31, Bartlett 3-32) New Milton 111 (Grasham 5-26). Sway won by 73 runs. St Cross Symondians II (Trussler 40, Orchard 27) Liphook & Ripsley 162-6 (Nicklin 83*). Liphook & Ripsley won by four wickets. DIVISION 3 Fareham & Crofton 97 (Adams 30*, Richman 3-12) Paultons 99-3 (Pike34*). Paultons won by seven wickets. Hursley Park 125 (Green 42, Sharma 34, Parratt 4-22, Gibson 3-15) Fawley 126-3 (Earl 42). Fawley won by seven wickets. South Wilts 240 (Allen 87, Pearce 36, Vincent 31, Burgess 4-47) Hook & Newnham Basics II 156 (Rizwan 42, Light 36, Hall 25, Pearce 3-17, Langdown 3-36). South Wilts II won by 84 runs. Sparsholt 342 (Berzins 124, Dawes 68, Fuller 35, Turner 4-82, Matthews 3-56) Havant II 161 (Matthews 47, Perkins 37, Gilmour 26, Doran 3-27, Fuller 3-27). Sparsholt won by 181 runs. Trojans 143 (Ajayan 37, Bragginton 6-14) Parley 73 (Saunders 30, Syed 5-14). Trojans won by 70 runs. Not content with bowling Paultons to a sensational Southern Premier Division 3 win at Hursley Park, teenager Liam Longland struck again 24 hours later with another stunning performance - with bat and ball - against Overton in the Village Cup.
Fresh from taking six wickets for six runs at The Quarters, Longland hit 74 before taking 4-14 as Paultons defended 189-8 (Robbie Pike 44) and bowled Overton out for 134, the Test Valley side having been in a promising position through second wicket pai Andy Galvin (55) and Kevin Barlow (40). Paultons' reward for a 55-run win is a county semi-final home tie against Hambledon at Whitemoor Lane on Sunday (1pm).. The remaining NVC Cup ties were washed out with sides progressing courtesy of coin tosses, bowl outs or teams simply withdrawing. Sunday's fixtures: Hook & Newnham Basics v Cadnam, Paultons v Hambledon, Ventnor v Sarisbury Athletic., Hursley Park will host Calmore Sports on May 19. ![]() Dorset spin all-rounder Jacob Gordon has returned to Bashley (Rydal) after spending last season playing ECB Surrey Championship cricket with Weybridge. He had been linked with a switch to Banstead but, so that he can be closer to home for Dorset's National Championship matches, will spend this summer with Bashley and make his return against Lymington at the Sports Ground, 12.30. He will open alongside the lean and lanky Will Tripcony with left-hander Jack Stearman, a pre-season transfer from South Wilts, listed to bat three ahead of skipper Michael Porter and Ben Walker, who has rejoined Bash from Havant. Despite losing nine wickets for 61 runs against the Hampshire Academy last week, Lymington name an unchanged team, one wich will sleep uneasily knowing Scotland left-armer Brad Currie will spearhead the Bashley attack. He took 9-28 against them last June. Absent for Bashley are Josh Digby, Dan Goodey and wicketkeeper Patrick Lewis. Lymington: Rogers, M Abbas, Scott, K Dhariwal, Berg, J Dhaiwal, Hemmings, Royan, Layman, A Abbas, Thompson. Bashley (Rydal): Porter, Tripcony, Gordon, Stearman, Walker, Achakzai, Trodd, Wilson, Morris, Currie, Bourne. Champions Burridge, beaten by Havant last week, travel to Alton, who have Michael Heffernan back in the middle-order, replacing seamer Tom Varney. Burridge have not shown their hand. Alton: Harris, Rajnikanth, Myers, Ruffell, Heffernan, Rolfs, South, Heffernan, Walters, Sumner, Gadsby. Dorset all-rounder Simon Woodruff leads Bournemouth against South Wilts at Bemerton, neither side playing its scheduled opening match last weekend. South Wilts: Degg, Cheater, Broderick, Draper, Fairfax, Falconer, Howgrave-Graham, Pittman, Freeman, Grant, Dunlop. Bournemouth: Woodruff, Rogers, Van Goole, Webb, Meyer,Robinson, Freak, Pack, Smith, Rushforth, Breckon. Basingstoke & North Hants and St Cross Symondians are each without a key all-rounder for the May's Bounty joust - Brad Neal being absent for the hosts and Hampshire's Felix Organ the visitors. Seamer Ollie Cordery is set for a Hampshire Academy comeback at Havant, who have conceded Sunday's ECB national club championship tie at Portsmouth. Academy: Randall, Ashman, Gordon, Mayes, Eckland, MacEwen, Jack, Davis, Basey, Cordery, Sundram. Calmore Sports called off Ventnor are left without a game for the second week running when their scheduled Southern Premier Division 1 visit to Calmore Sports was cancelled due to Loperwood Park having not yet recovered from the wet weather. Like nearby Langley Manor, Calmore have suffered more than most and despite the efforts of their volunteer ground crew, it remains unplayable. Ventnor should, at least, get a game in on Sunday when Sarisbury Athletic travel to Steephill in the national village cup. Sarisbury call up Ricky Rawlins for their visit to OTs & Romsey, the only change from the side that beat Rowledge last week. OTR: C King, G Noble, C Wood, H Tulk, R Newman, J Vaughan, E Ponting, H Peruzi, V Dawson, T George, M Bampton. Sarisbury Athletic: Franklin, Morton, Cookson, Robson, Rawlins, Feltham, Williams, Pascoe, Clark, Holzman, Hill. Opener Ben Duggan misses Portsmouth's potentially testing trip to Andover, so teenage spinner Charlie Collins, who bowled effectively in the ECB Cup win over Middleton, gets the nod. Portsmouth: James Christian, Carlin Joy, Mohammed Ashraful, Harry Gadd, Dan Wimble, Sujeeth Daini, Joe Kooner-Evans, Steve Warner, Charlie Collins, Tom Lewis, Rak Rao. Will Ryman is stranded in the Grand Canyon on a university geology trip so misses the Rowledge-Hook & Newnham Basics match as does Harry Warner, who is refereeing. Rowledge:Ben Wish, David Lloyd, Max Martin, Ollie Baker, Olly Ryman, Hugh Croft, Ryan Littlewood, Justin Felsch, Zac Le Roux, Jonty Sebborn, Jake Wish. Hook & Newnham Basics: Neville, Lockwood, Ijaz, M Buckingham, Armstrong, J Buckingham, May, C Hall, Murrell, Watts, Divecha. With both openers missing, Sway are having to reshuffle their batting order for the Southern Premier Division 2 derby against near neighbours New Milton at Station Road. Tim Noble and John Walter are absent so Adam Clark and Jay Dehning are included for Sway, who won a tight two-wicket affair at Liphook & Ripsley last week. Relegated New Milton also got off to a winning start, also by two wickets, against Gosport Borough, but opener Ollie Shrubsole too is absent. It will be the first time Sway and Milton have played a league match. Sway: Millard, Grasham, Crossley, Clark, Steadman, Burton, Bernard, Dehning, Marshall, Thomas, Waller. New Milton: James Adams, Ed Bartlett, Thaakier Davids, Josh Parsons, Ollie Nichols, Ben Griffiths, Lee Beck, Eddie Wooster, Joe Hall, Jamie Gawler, Josh Bennett. Fair Oak’s Lapstone Gardens has dried out to enable Hambledon’s visit to go ahead – the Dons being without opener George Marshall. Replacement Henry Glanfield will be anxious to keep his pads clear of any straight deliveries. Fair Oak: H.Reed, S.Reed, J.McNeeney, J.Todd, T.Clark, R.Oxley, B.Smith, M.White, J.Gradwell, T.Merrill, L.Goodyear. Gosport Borough’s new coach John Adams could be without as many as three front line players for Langley Manor’s visit to Privett Park. Other matches: Portsmouth & Southsea v Hartley Wintney, St Cross Symondians II v Liphook & Ripsley, ![]() Alex Nippard [left] emerges from the backwaters of Hampshire League regional cricket to play for Parley at Trojans, the one-time lead Poole Grammar School student having been a prolific run scorer at his peak. Parley were washed out against Sparsholt last week, while Trojans lost narrowly at South Wilts. Parley: Jacques, Collins, Saunders, Laird, Bragginton, Green, Rook, Powell, Huns, Nippard and Booth. Sparsholt’s new Australian recruit, Joe Merlino – a big hitting wicket-keeper/batsman from Newcastle, New South Wales – makes is SPL3 debut against Havant II at Locks Lane. Sparsholt: Berzins, Ley, Emslie, M Robbins, Merlino, W Robbins, Diran, Taylot, Fuller, Skeates, Dawes. South African spin all-rounder Craig Jeffery, ineligible for last weekend’s Hook & Newnham Basics hiding, is back for Fareham & Crofton at Paultons. Fareham & Crofton: Southon, Bulled, Jeffery, Kent, Frost, B Barnwell, Adams, Reader, Headen, Barnwell, Rajeshirke. Teenager Ollie Webster, Hook's hero at Bath Lane, has a school match so misses Basics' IIs match with South Wilts II at the KGV. He's replaced by his dad ! Hook: Watterson, Rizwan, J Hall, Light, Wyatt, Dyer, J Webster, Bowman, Bland, Burgess, Clark. Hursley Park, away to Fawley, look to improve on last week's collapse - they lost their last seven wickets from 40-3 without scoring a single run. Teenage talent Joe Smitherman hit 65 and shared an important third-wicket stand with Harry Gadd (46 not out) as Portsmouth beat Middleton by 13 runs in a rain shortened ECB national club championship tie at St Helen's, Southsea.
Portsmouth made 156-4 off 28 overs, leaving the Sussex Premier League visitors to score 142 off 20 overs. They fell short at 128-8, teen spinner Charlie Collins taking 4-15 and Joe Kooner-Evans 3-18. Waterlooville made 152-9 (Alex Shephard 39) but lost by seven wickets to Surrey Championship hosts Normandy. Middlesex League giants Richmond put a massive 350-3 on the board after visitors Odiham & Greywell put them in. Vansh Jani helped himself to a cool 244 not out, with 12 sixes and 24 fours. Odiham fell aganisingly short with 105 all out, Gareth Sharp (42) top scoring. Justin Behrens, who topped the bowling charts in Cape Town's Western Province Premier League this past winter, marked his Hambledon return with a six-wicket haul which set up a comfortable wn over Portsmouth & Southsea at St James's Park. The leg-spin all-rounder, who finished with 6-22, took three P & S wickets for six runs soon after being introduced to the Dons attack, but was held up when Southampton University student Ewan Mansford (68) found support from Pompey diehard Oli Kanavan (30). The pair lifted the P & S total to 114-3 before the innings subsided to 151-9 against Behrens and the emerging Ollie Bembridge (2-25). Hambledon lost George Marshall early, but with opener Chris Pratt and Emsworth recruit Anurag Sharma each making 35 they won with time to spare. Newly promoted to Southern Premier League Division 2, Sway were mightily relieved to scrape a narrow one-wicket win away to Liphook & Ripsley, following a nail-biting finish. On a slow and soft Ripsley Park pitch, wickets fell regularly all afternoon. Not surprisingly asked to bat, Liphook had only Harry Munt 28 to pass 20. Sway’s ever dependable seamers Jon Waller (3-23), Dave Steadman (2-20), Jon Grasham (2-17) and Hugh Bernard (2-34) turned screw to restrict the hosts to 133 all out in 45 overs. The normally meagre target soon proved formidable, once opener Tim Noble had gone for 26. New Liphook skipper George Neave (3-28) and South African Ash-Lee Harvey (3-32) formed the spearhead. It was finally left to No 11 Jon Waller, assisted by a vital 17* from teenager Olly Marshall to get Sway over the line at 136-9 in the penultimate over. Relegated New Milton won only one match in 2023, so it was a major fillip for Ed Bartlett, their new captain, that they should get ff the mark with a victory, albeit a tense two-wicket one against promoted Gosport Borough, last year's SPL3 runners-up to Sway.
The day began perfectly for Bartlett, who castled Queensland run gun Ollie Lunt second ball. Borough were soon two down without a run scored and, after a couple more blows by Josh Bennett (2-16), 18-4. Ollie Creal (28), Tom Larner (28) and Connor Regan (25) rallied to hoist Gosport to 138, Bartlett finishing with 4-18. Ollie Shrubsole glued Milton's reply, scoring 39 off 120 balls in his first knock in over a year. Ollie has experienced horrific knee problems in recent seasons and was playing for the first time since a spell of Dorset League cricket with Puddletown in 2022. To spend almost the entire New Milton innings in the middle will have done his confidence a power of good. Skipper Jack Richards wheeled away for Gosport, taking 5-15, but wasn't helped by the 26 sundries Borough conceded, 18 of them wides and no-balls. Coach John Adams wasn't over impressed. The matches between Langley Manor and Fair Oak, and St Cross Symondians' visit to Hartley Wintney were cancelled due to unfit grounds. Tom Morton notched his 32nd Southern Premier League century and his third in Sarisbury Athletic colours with an attractive 109 which set up a 59-run victory over youthful Rowledge at Allotment Road. The former South Wilts run gun, who actually boasts 42 hundreds on an impressive cricket CV, hit a six and eight fours as he compiled fruitful stands with fellow opener, Fremantle all-rounder Kaiden Cookson (34) and Jack Robson (38) before exiting the crease at 198-3. It gave the spotlight to Nathan Feltham to whack a quick-fire 58, with three sixes sailing out of the ground and Sarisbury moving on to a match winning 257-4, a total beyond Rowledge, who lost seven of their wickets to spin. With two left-armers complimenting skipper Rob Frankin's off-breaks, Sarisbury's armory will powerful in the spin section, Cookson being a front-line bowler in Perth's WACA Premiership. Ollie Baker's left-hand batting caught the eye when Rowledge replied, but his attractive 37 was the only individual one above 30. Their reply needed a major contribution. Max Martin (26) and Zac LeRoux (25), Jake Wish (26) and Ryan Littlewood all got into the 20s, but dominating a three-pronged spin attack - Franklin (3-31) and Cookson (3-39) shared six scalps - was never going to be easy. Rowledge made 198 all out. Portsmouth's 58-run victory over promoted Old Tauntonians & Romsey was largely based around a batting partnership between Carlin Joy (67) and former Bangladesh captain Mohammed Ashraful (64). The second wicket pair took on Hampshire left-armer Chris Wood (3-29) and eased Portsmouth to 122-1 and later towards 215-9, skipper Rob Newman and Hakim Perusi taking two wickets each. OTs dropped to 66-4, but Harry Tulk underlined his talent with three sixes and ten fours in a classy 83. He added 73 with Joe Vaughan (25), but once former South Wilts offie Tom Lewis broke the stand OTR collapsed. Club coach Steve Warner removed Tulk and finished with a 6-29 return as six wickets clattered for 18 runs and OTR were 157 all out. Sam Lockwood led the way as Hook & Newnham Basics took control against Calmore Sports - the former Kent League hard hitter peppering the King George V ground boundary in a century opening partnership. He struck four maximums and six fours in a run-a-ball 73 scored out of an opening stand of 110 with Harry Warner (45) as Hook took control. The Buckingham brothers Matt (53) and skipper Josh (41) added to Calmore's woe, despite former Team Solent seamer Joe Butcher (3-34) initiating a late fall which saw Basics lose six wickets for 30 runs, but still finish with 274-9. Ben Johns responded with a typical 48, but Brad Jewer (31) and Matt Taylor (28) were the only other batters to make a mark as Aniket Divecha (4-45) reduced to visitors to 169 all out. Hook won by 105 runs. Joe Baker carried his bat for an undefeated 70 and enjoyed an unbroken ninth-wicket stand with Joe Bracey as Totton & Eling pulled off an unlikely victory over 2023 Southern Premier League Division 1 runners-up Andover at London Road.
It didn't look as though Totton would overhaul Andover's 177 when they dropped to 47-5 and later 139-8, but Baker and Bracey (23*) added a precious to urn the match on its head. Teen Sanjeet Garood (48) top scored on debut for Andover, who benefitted from 30 leg sides wides. Billy Lightfoot took 3-21. New captain Pete Hopson saluted “a fantastic result” after Havant had stunned reigning champions Burridge on the opening day of the ECB Southern Premier League season. After being restricted to 132-9 in 50 overs after losing the toss at Havant Park, the hosts bundled Burridge out for just 85. Spinners Chris Morgan, Chris Stone and new teenage West Australian import Louis Clayton took a combined 7-35 from 21 overs. Havant had endured a tough close season, losing three top order batters - former captain Ben Walker, Harry Gadd and George Metzer - and seam bowlers Richard Jerry and Waterlooville-bound Sonny Reynolds. And it appeared an opening-day loss was on the cards after Inayat Ullah (2-11) and Dan Stancliffe (3-28) had reduced them to 21-4. After Stuart Ransley was trapped leg before by Ullah with the score on 15, Clayton was then bowled first ball. Chris Stone was caught by Matt Goles off Stancliffe, who then bowled Morgan for a duck to leave Havant in some disarray. Captain Hopson, desperate to keep his bails intact, crawled to 24 off 110 balls before he was sixth out with the score on 71. ![]() That brought young Ben Feeney [left] to the crease, who proceeded to top score with an unbeaten 32 off 36 balls with five boundaries. The teenager spent most of last season playing for Havant II, but Metzger’s departure has seen him take over behind the stumps. Feeney and Oli Jones (16) put on 48 for the seventh wicket as Havant ended on 132-9 - extras the second top scorer with 29, including 19 leg-side wides. Burridge reached 39-1 in reply when Morgan trapped South African Goles, the leading runscorer in the SPL top flight in 2023, leg before. Clayton’s first league wicket saw him bowl Burridge captain Joe Collings-Wells and it was 66-5 when Morgan dismissed Francis Moore for a duck - having previously having Azimunnoor Chowdhury leg before, also without scoring. Left-arm spinner Morgan, who had opened the bowling with debutant Aron Tubman, ended with 3-15 from eight overs, while third change Chris Stone (3-7) and Clayton (2-9) also helped spin the champions to a surprise loss. “It was a fantastic result considering everything that the club has endured this winter,” declared Hopson.
“The sense of pride around the club on Saturday evening was special. The number of messages of congratulations from the wider cricket community was warmly received. “Ben and Ollie put on a great partnership of 48 in approximately 10 overs which changed the momentum of the innings at the right time. “We had endured a tough test early on a wicket that was damp thanks to the heavy rain during the middle of the week. Ben played a range of unique and classy shots, and punished anything short. “Bowling wise, we did really well. Morgs was particularly brilliant with the new ball. Once he got one to bite off the surface in the third over of his spell, the dynamics changed for the batters.” Photographs by Martyn White ![]() Local South Coast Panel officials Paul Sparshott and Duncan Forbes are set to tread the hallowed turf of Lord's this week. On Thursday Paul, who umpired the national village final some years ago, takes charge of a Varsity Match Women's and Men's T20 double between Oxford and Cambridge, a match Lymington all-rounder Josh Royan hopes to be picked to play in. Southern Premier League treasurer Duncan Forbes, appropriately attired in top hat and tails, will walk through the Grace Gates on Friday to officiate Eton v Harrow. The www.vimpsatthecrease.com cricket website is continuing to back and promote the Southern Premier League through its Cricketer of the Week awards. The first award of the season goes to teenage Paultons' all-rounder Liam Longland for his remarkable performance in the round 1 match against newly promoted Hursley Park at The Quarters. Liam had already made a precious 18 runs with the bat, but when he came onto bowl, Paultons were facing defeat with Hursley 40-3 chasing 78. In a remarkable turnaround, Longland took six wickets for six runs as Hursley Park lost their last seven poles without scoring a single run and were 40 all out. |
Powered byCricket-Hockey.com - the cricket equipment experts in Downton, Salisbury
|