Sourav Ganguly, India’s Test captain, used to strike fear into opposing teams when he arrived at the crease.
Now his namesake Suman is wreaking havoc on the local Southern Electric Premier League scene.
He’ll never match Sourav’s 16 Test centuries and 22 ODI hundreds.
But on current form, he looks more than capable of saving Liphook & Ripsley’s relegation bacon on the back of his own performances.
The right-hand bat and seam bowler had a truly magical day at Southern Gardens, scoring 114 and taking 5-27 in Liphook’s 174-run demolition of Totton & Eling.
His chanceless 114 contained two sixes and 16 fours and saw Liphook to a towering 304-8 – a score way beyond Totton’s remit.
Ganguly barely had time for tea before he began making inroads into the Toton top order – his new ball spell accounting for Tom Arnold (21), Nick Jenkin and James Taylor.
Totton lurched to 52-6 before Tom Beresford (27) and Azeem Hamid (36) gave the reply some substance, but the re-emergence of Ganguly and two late wickets by Elliott Hawkins (2-31) saw the innings subside to 130 all out.
The result left Totton & Eling bottom of the table, eight points adrift of the nearest safety rung.
Kiwi teenager Josh Finnie played a key role as Bournemouth got their promotion push back on track with a narrow two-wicket victory over Basingstoke & North Hants.
The Lions headed to May’s Bounty on the back of a shock defeat by lowly Andover, while Basingstoke had been buoyed by their crushing victory at New Milton.
However, Finnie (pictured) ensured the tables would be turned with his boundary-laden 96 proving decisive in the final reckoning as Bournemouth scrambled home with four balls to spare.
Basingstoke lost both openers with only seven runs scored, but a third-wicket stand of 81 between Steve Bucksey (26) and Mitch Stokes saw Basingstoke recover before Kitson claimed a return catch to dispose of Stokes (46).
Andy Woodward and Kitson (3-60) struck to reduce the hosts to 115-5 before Finnie entered the fray to pick up two quick wickets as they slumped to 131-7.
Although Woodward (2-33) had Chris Chandler caught by Robbie Pack, a defiant Chris Oliver (46 not out) thwarted Bournemouth’s attempts to quickly wrap up the Basingstoke innings.
Left-arm spinner Pack (2-22) mopped up the tail, with Bournemouth set a revised victory target of 200 from 44 overs due to a short rain break.
Andy Hayward (32) and Martin Miller shared 45 for the first wicket before Stokes dismissed the pair to leave Lions 50-2.
However, Finnie’s arrival steadied the ship, the 18-year-old Otago spin prospect putting on 42 for the third wicket with Hayward (32).
Although Rakitha Perera (3-46) dismissed Hayward, Jake Hurley and Ryan Wiltshire as Bournemouth wobbled at 132-5, Finnie continued to carry the fight.
His classy 70-ball stay included no fewer than 10 fours and four sixes, while his sixth-wicket stand of 49 with Pete Smith took Lions within sight of the finishing line.
And although they lost Luke Matthews and Woodward after Finnie had departed with the score on 181-6, Smith and Pack saw Bournemouth home at 201-8 two balls into the final over.
The defeat left Basingstoke effectively six points adrift of leaders Hook & Newnham Basics, whose top match at Fernhill was abandoned after ten overs – Spencer Champ (2-17) having dismissed both openers to leave New Milton 39-2 when play was abandoned.
Rowledge moved into fourth place (two points above Bournemouth) when they bowled lowly Hartley Wintney out for 110 to win by seven wickets.
Andover picked up their second consecutive win as they brushed aside fellow strugglers Calmore Sports in the bottom four Premier Division 1 joust at London Road, writes Callum Holloway.
Calmore skipper, Mark Lavelle, won the toss and put Andover into bat with a hint of rain lingering and some early cloud cover, writes Callum Holloway.
Calmore got off to a good start picking up the early scalp of Ali Hooper through left-armer Steve Wright, but from then on Andover started to get away.
Darron Augustus came in and hit an eccentric 27 before Dave Taylor and Glyn Treagus got to work.
Taylor, dropped on eight, made Calmore pay by smashing 91 and was well supported by Treagus (66).
James Rose was the pick of the bowlers for the fielding side with figures of 4-38 from his 10 overs helping Calmore restrict Andover to 277-8.
Calmore’s run chase got off to the worst possible start when influential skipper Lavelle contrived to turn his ankle chasing a second run forcing the opener to retire hurt.
A healthy third-wicket partnership between left-hand teenager Ben Johns (73) and James Rose (77) provided stability to the innings but lacked enough positive intent to give the visitors a realistic chance of winning the game.
When Johns fell in the 43rd over, Calmore required 100 to win from their remaining six overs and eventually closed 221-7.
Mike Adams (3-43) was the pick of the bowlers, with support from Augustus (3-53).
A vital win from Andover sees them leap into mid-table, while Calmore have it all to do with just two wins from their eight games so far.
Now his namesake Suman is wreaking havoc on the local Southern Electric Premier League scene.
He’ll never match Sourav’s 16 Test centuries and 22 ODI hundreds.
But on current form, he looks more than capable of saving Liphook & Ripsley’s relegation bacon on the back of his own performances.
The right-hand bat and seam bowler had a truly magical day at Southern Gardens, scoring 114 and taking 5-27 in Liphook’s 174-run demolition of Totton & Eling.
His chanceless 114 contained two sixes and 16 fours and saw Liphook to a towering 304-8 – a score way beyond Totton’s remit.
Ganguly barely had time for tea before he began making inroads into the Toton top order – his new ball spell accounting for Tom Arnold (21), Nick Jenkin and James Taylor.
Totton lurched to 52-6 before Tom Beresford (27) and Azeem Hamid (36) gave the reply some substance, but the re-emergence of Ganguly and two late wickets by Elliott Hawkins (2-31) saw the innings subside to 130 all out.
The result left Totton & Eling bottom of the table, eight points adrift of the nearest safety rung.
Kiwi teenager Josh Finnie played a key role as Bournemouth got their promotion push back on track with a narrow two-wicket victory over Basingstoke & North Hants.
The Lions headed to May’s Bounty on the back of a shock defeat by lowly Andover, while Basingstoke had been buoyed by their crushing victory at New Milton.
However, Finnie (pictured) ensured the tables would be turned with his boundary-laden 96 proving decisive in the final reckoning as Bournemouth scrambled home with four balls to spare.
Basingstoke lost both openers with only seven runs scored, but a third-wicket stand of 81 between Steve Bucksey (26) and Mitch Stokes saw Basingstoke recover before Kitson claimed a return catch to dispose of Stokes (46).
Andy Woodward and Kitson (3-60) struck to reduce the hosts to 115-5 before Finnie entered the fray to pick up two quick wickets as they slumped to 131-7.
Although Woodward (2-33) had Chris Chandler caught by Robbie Pack, a defiant Chris Oliver (46 not out) thwarted Bournemouth’s attempts to quickly wrap up the Basingstoke innings.
Left-arm spinner Pack (2-22) mopped up the tail, with Bournemouth set a revised victory target of 200 from 44 overs due to a short rain break.
Andy Hayward (32) and Martin Miller shared 45 for the first wicket before Stokes dismissed the pair to leave Lions 50-2.
However, Finnie’s arrival steadied the ship, the 18-year-old Otago spin prospect putting on 42 for the third wicket with Hayward (32).
Although Rakitha Perera (3-46) dismissed Hayward, Jake Hurley and Ryan Wiltshire as Bournemouth wobbled at 132-5, Finnie continued to carry the fight.
His classy 70-ball stay included no fewer than 10 fours and four sixes, while his sixth-wicket stand of 49 with Pete Smith took Lions within sight of the finishing line.
And although they lost Luke Matthews and Woodward after Finnie had departed with the score on 181-6, Smith and Pack saw Bournemouth home at 201-8 two balls into the final over.
The defeat left Basingstoke effectively six points adrift of leaders Hook & Newnham Basics, whose top match at Fernhill was abandoned after ten overs – Spencer Champ (2-17) having dismissed both openers to leave New Milton 39-2 when play was abandoned.
Rowledge moved into fourth place (two points above Bournemouth) when they bowled lowly Hartley Wintney out for 110 to win by seven wickets.
Andover picked up their second consecutive win as they brushed aside fellow strugglers Calmore Sports in the bottom four Premier Division 1 joust at London Road, writes Callum Holloway.
Calmore skipper, Mark Lavelle, won the toss and put Andover into bat with a hint of rain lingering and some early cloud cover, writes Callum Holloway.
Calmore got off to a good start picking up the early scalp of Ali Hooper through left-armer Steve Wright, but from then on Andover started to get away.
Darron Augustus came in and hit an eccentric 27 before Dave Taylor and Glyn Treagus got to work.
Taylor, dropped on eight, made Calmore pay by smashing 91 and was well supported by Treagus (66).
James Rose was the pick of the bowlers for the fielding side with figures of 4-38 from his 10 overs helping Calmore restrict Andover to 277-8.
Calmore’s run chase got off to the worst possible start when influential skipper Lavelle contrived to turn his ankle chasing a second run forcing the opener to retire hurt.
A healthy third-wicket partnership between left-hand teenager Ben Johns (73) and James Rose (77) provided stability to the innings but lacked enough positive intent to give the visitors a realistic chance of winning the game.
When Johns fell in the 43rd over, Calmore required 100 to win from their remaining six overs and eventually closed 221-7.
Mike Adams (3-43) was the pick of the bowlers, with support from Augustus (3-53).
A vital win from Andover sees them leap into mid-table, while Calmore have it all to do with just two wins from their eight games so far.