Langley Manor flexed their muscles for Saturday’s potential Southern Premier League Division 3 title decider at Fair Oak with a comfortable 107-run victory over lowly Havant II at Knellers Lane.
Jack Budd (72) and Azeem Hamid, with a lively 58 (including two sixes and five fours) led the way as Langley posted a healthy 278-6.
Once Andrew Galliers (30) and Harry Gadd (29) were dismissed, Havant’s reply fell away and Hampshire Under-16 spinner Tommy Spencer weighed in with a 4-31 return, writes Mike Vimpany.
The Manor will go to Lapstone Park with a commanding 35-point lead. Victory over second placed Oaks will put them in a virtually unassailable position.
Fair Oak suffered early losses in the second v third duel with Basingstoke & North Hants II at May’s Bounty.
But Ed Kemp (58) and the reliable Asad Abbas (59), pictured above, steadied the nerves of 24-2 and with contributions from Richard Featherstone (29) and Ross Stewart (21) Oaks pushed on.
A rapid 25 from KES student Greg McKenzie off 11 balls gave Oaks a competitive 242-8.
Basingstoke lost experienced duo Chris Froud and Steve Bucksey cheaply, but teenager Max Harsham (with six fours in his 36) remained a danger until he fell to Hampshire Under-17 left-arm spinner Charlie Gwynn (3-3-32), who also captured the key wicket of Brad Neal (23), who had punished Fair Oak earlier in the season.
At 127-7 it looked set for an early finish, but a late 55 partnership between Harry Smith (41) and Ash Neal took Basingstoke on to 188 before Assad Abbass (3-39) and Ross Stewart took the final wickets.
St Cross Symondians are hovering on Fair Oak’s shoulders and lie eight points behind in third place after comfortable six-wicket win over Hursley Park at the Green Jackets Ground.
Hursley, one of four sides under the threat of being relegated alongside Ryde, were indebted to skipper Nick Wheeler for their modest 139 all out.
Jack Budd (72) and Azeem Hamid, with a lively 58 (including two sixes and five fours) led the way as Langley posted a healthy 278-6.
Once Andrew Galliers (30) and Harry Gadd (29) were dismissed, Havant’s reply fell away and Hampshire Under-16 spinner Tommy Spencer weighed in with a 4-31 return, writes Mike Vimpany.
The Manor will go to Lapstone Park with a commanding 35-point lead. Victory over second placed Oaks will put them in a virtually unassailable position.
Fair Oak suffered early losses in the second v third duel with Basingstoke & North Hants II at May’s Bounty.
But Ed Kemp (58) and the reliable Asad Abbas (59), pictured above, steadied the nerves of 24-2 and with contributions from Richard Featherstone (29) and Ross Stewart (21) Oaks pushed on.
A rapid 25 from KES student Greg McKenzie off 11 balls gave Oaks a competitive 242-8.
Basingstoke lost experienced duo Chris Froud and Steve Bucksey cheaply, but teenager Max Harsham (with six fours in his 36) remained a danger until he fell to Hampshire Under-17 left-arm spinner Charlie Gwynn (3-3-32), who also captured the key wicket of Brad Neal (23), who had punished Fair Oak earlier in the season.
At 127-7 it looked set for an early finish, but a late 55 partnership between Harry Smith (41) and Ash Neal took Basingstoke on to 188 before Assad Abbass (3-39) and Ross Stewart took the final wickets.
St Cross Symondians are hovering on Fair Oak’s shoulders and lie eight points behind in third place after comfortable six-wicket win over Hursley Park at the Green Jackets Ground.
Hursley, one of four sides under the threat of being relegated alongside Ryde, were indebted to skipper Nick Wheeler for their modest 139 all out.