Basingstoke & North Hants were Southern League Division 1 champions and are back amongst the ECB Premier Division elite after a four-year absence.
They won their opening four matches before suffering a hefty 100-run defeat at arch rivals Hook & Newnham Basics before embarking on another eight-match win run which included two absorbing affairs against Andover, the eventual runners-up.
That win sequence took them to the brink of the title before a successive summer tailed off with consecutive defeats by Sarisbury Athletic and Portsmouth. Matt Deadman (390) and Ash Neal (370) each scored over 300 runs, with off-spinner Dubs Wood and Neal the lead wicket takers.
Results -
R1 - v New Milton. Cancelled.
R2 - Basingstoke & North Hants 221-8 (Shelar 59, Neal 30, Oates 25) Ventnor 147 (Thimosya 31, Blackman 25, Garg 3-24, Oates 3-27). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 74 runs.
R3 - Basingstoke & North Hants 262-8 (Oates 75, Shelar 35, Behrens 4-40) Hambledon 191-8 (Oliver 50*, Behrens 44, J Marshall 34, Wood 3-24, A Neal 3-34). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 71 runs.
R4 - Rowledge 177 (J Wish 60, O Ryman 27, A Neal 3-27, Brown 3-36) Basingstoke & North Hants 180-7 (Nurse 56, Wood 56). Basingstoke & North Hants won by three wickets.
R5 - Basingstoke & North Hants 260-9 (Nurse 58, B Neal 46*, Shelar 33, A Neal 29, Fisher 3-69) Calmore Sports 223-8 (Fisher 46, Johns 42, Brewster 30, Moss 28, Wood 3-29). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 37 runs.
R6 - Hook & Newnham Basics 278 (J Buckingham 69, Armstrong 55, Perera 3-43) Basingstoke & North Hants 178 (Shelar 40, Donaldson 25, Brown 22, Divecha 3-35, Murrell 3-43). Hook & Newnham Basics won by 100 runs.
R7 - Andover 123 (Hooper 35, B Neal 4-38) Basingstoke & North Hants 127-7 (A Neal 39, Benge 38*, B Neal 31*, Jansen 5-16). Basingstoke & North Hants won by three wickets.
R8 - Basingstoke & North Hants 245 (A Neal 58, Deadman 41, Donaldson 30, D Coombs 27, Franklin 3-43, S Hill 3-57) Sarisbury Athletic 221 (Feltham 114, S Hill 27, Wood 3-25). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 24 runs.
R9 - Basingstoke & North Hants 216-9 (A Neal 45, Donaldson 35, Coombs 30, B Neal 30, Oates 27, Kooner-Evans 3-38) Portsmouth 92 (Duggan 23, Brown 3-21). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 124 runs.
R10 - New Milton 75 (B Neal 5-25, Coombs 3-32) Basingstoke & North Hants 79-1 (Deadman 36*). Basingstoke & North Hants won by nine wickets.
R11 - Ventnor 220 (Blackman 80, Snell 62, Bartlett 30, Donaldson 4-50, Brown 3-24) Basingstoke & North Hants 221-2 (D Coombs 65*, C Coombs 51*, D Wood 46, Deadman 40). Basingstoke & North Hants won by eight wickets.
R12 - v Hambledon. Cancelled.
R13 - Rowledge 149 (Martin 54) Basingstoke & North Hants 152-8 (Shelar 36, Oates 35, A Neal 25). Basingstoke & North Hants won by two wickets.
R14 - v Calmore Sports. Cancelled.
R15 - Basingstoke & North Hants 291-7 (Deadman 106, Oates 41, Shelar 38, B Neal 36, A Neal 29, May 3-44) Hook & Newnham Basics 206 (J Buckingham 61, M Buckingham 32, Oates 4-29, D Wood 3-35). won by Basingstoke & North Hants won by 85 runs.
R16 - Basingstoke & North Hants 215-8 (Oates 51, Deadman 46, A Neal 30, Nyumbu 3-33) Andover 205-9 (Mutambami 46, Birks 45, Nyumbu 42, Hooper 27, Oates 2-19). Basingstoke & North Hants won by ten runs.
R17 - Basingstoke & North Hants 211 (Deadman 37, D Wood 34, Benge 34, A Neal 34, S Hill 4-29, Wright 3-59) Sarisbury Athletic 209-5 (target score 209 off 48 overs)(Feltham 61*, Robson 43, Grierson 38, Wright 25). Sarisbury Athletic won by five wickets.
R18 - Basingstoke & North Hants 115 (D Wood 27, Abid 22, Rao 4-32, A Marston 3-22, Hay 3-24) Portsmouth 116-2 (Hay 69*, Wimble 24*). Portsmouth won by eight wickets.
They won their opening four matches before suffering a hefty 100-run defeat at arch rivals Hook & Newnham Basics before embarking on another eight-match win run which included two absorbing affairs against Andover, the eventual runners-up.
That win sequence took them to the brink of the title before a successive summer tailed off with consecutive defeats by Sarisbury Athletic and Portsmouth. Matt Deadman (390) and Ash Neal (370) each scored over 300 runs, with off-spinner Dubs Wood and Neal the lead wicket takers.
Results -
R1 - v New Milton. Cancelled.
R2 - Basingstoke & North Hants 221-8 (Shelar 59, Neal 30, Oates 25) Ventnor 147 (Thimosya 31, Blackman 25, Garg 3-24, Oates 3-27). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 74 runs.
R3 - Basingstoke & North Hants 262-8 (Oates 75, Shelar 35, Behrens 4-40) Hambledon 191-8 (Oliver 50*, Behrens 44, J Marshall 34, Wood 3-24, A Neal 3-34). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 71 runs.
R4 - Rowledge 177 (J Wish 60, O Ryman 27, A Neal 3-27, Brown 3-36) Basingstoke & North Hants 180-7 (Nurse 56, Wood 56). Basingstoke & North Hants won by three wickets.
R5 - Basingstoke & North Hants 260-9 (Nurse 58, B Neal 46*, Shelar 33, A Neal 29, Fisher 3-69) Calmore Sports 223-8 (Fisher 46, Johns 42, Brewster 30, Moss 28, Wood 3-29). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 37 runs.
R6 - Hook & Newnham Basics 278 (J Buckingham 69, Armstrong 55, Perera 3-43) Basingstoke & North Hants 178 (Shelar 40, Donaldson 25, Brown 22, Divecha 3-35, Murrell 3-43). Hook & Newnham Basics won by 100 runs.
R7 - Andover 123 (Hooper 35, B Neal 4-38) Basingstoke & North Hants 127-7 (A Neal 39, Benge 38*, B Neal 31*, Jansen 5-16). Basingstoke & North Hants won by three wickets.
R8 - Basingstoke & North Hants 245 (A Neal 58, Deadman 41, Donaldson 30, D Coombs 27, Franklin 3-43, S Hill 3-57) Sarisbury Athletic 221 (Feltham 114, S Hill 27, Wood 3-25). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 24 runs.
R9 - Basingstoke & North Hants 216-9 (A Neal 45, Donaldson 35, Coombs 30, B Neal 30, Oates 27, Kooner-Evans 3-38) Portsmouth 92 (Duggan 23, Brown 3-21). Basingstoke & North Hants won by 124 runs.
R10 - New Milton 75 (B Neal 5-25, Coombs 3-32) Basingstoke & North Hants 79-1 (Deadman 36*). Basingstoke & North Hants won by nine wickets.
R11 - Ventnor 220 (Blackman 80, Snell 62, Bartlett 30, Donaldson 4-50, Brown 3-24) Basingstoke & North Hants 221-2 (D Coombs 65*, C Coombs 51*, D Wood 46, Deadman 40). Basingstoke & North Hants won by eight wickets.
R12 - v Hambledon. Cancelled.
R13 - Rowledge 149 (Martin 54) Basingstoke & North Hants 152-8 (Shelar 36, Oates 35, A Neal 25). Basingstoke & North Hants won by two wickets.
R14 - v Calmore Sports. Cancelled.
R15 - Basingstoke & North Hants 291-7 (Deadman 106, Oates 41, Shelar 38, B Neal 36, A Neal 29, May 3-44) Hook & Newnham Basics 206 (J Buckingham 61, M Buckingham 32, Oates 4-29, D Wood 3-35). won by Basingstoke & North Hants won by 85 runs.
R16 - Basingstoke & North Hants 215-8 (Oates 51, Deadman 46, A Neal 30, Nyumbu 3-33) Andover 205-9 (Mutambami 46, Birks 45, Nyumbu 42, Hooper 27, Oates 2-19). Basingstoke & North Hants won by ten runs.
R17 - Basingstoke & North Hants 211 (Deadman 37, D Wood 34, Benge 34, A Neal 34, S Hill 4-29, Wright 3-59) Sarisbury Athletic 209-5 (target score 209 off 48 overs)(Feltham 61*, Robson 43, Grierson 38, Wright 25). Sarisbury Athletic won by five wickets.
R18 - Basingstoke & North Hants 115 (D Wood 27, Abid 22, Rao 4-32, A Marston 3-22, Hay 3-24) Portsmouth 116-2 (Hay 69*, Wimble 24*). Portsmouth won by eight wickets.