Brad Taylor, the Basingstoke & North Hants raised cricketer, has put his impressive start to the Royal London One-Day Cup down to a winter being mentored by New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel.
Hampshire all-rounder Taylor spent three and a half months before Christmas in Wellington where he worked with Test star Patel and trained with Plunket Shield side the Firebirds, on one of the ECB’s Overseas Placements, writes Alex Smith.
And his work in New Zealand has paid dividends in the 50-over competition, with an impressive economy rate of under a five runs an over in the first three matches in the format this summer.
“I went out to Wellington for three and a half months and worked with Jeetan Patel,” Taylor said.  “It was awesome working with him and training with Wellington Firebirds three or four times a week.
“It was really good to learn off probably the best off-spinner in the country for the last four or five years. I picked his brains. A lot of tactical stuff like being able to bowl at different batters but also technical stuff, like positions on the crease and things like that.
"I learned a lot about my own action and how I bowl over the winter. What I picked up has certainly helped in this competition but a lot of it is also confidence.”
Taylor is playing an identical role to injured Liam Dawson in the Hampshire side – namely deepening the batting line-up but more importantly bowling in tandem with Mason Crane.
While leg spinner Crane attacks to take wickets, Taylor dries up the runs from the other end to create a squeeze on opposition teams.
The tactic has been heavily rehearsed by the 21-year-olds having practised it while rocketing through the Hampshire academy together – and also for England Under-19s.
“It is nice to be bowling with Mason at either end,” Taylor smiled. “We did it all the time growing up, me holding an end up and him doing the job the other end. There isn’t much mystery to what I do compared to Mason.  Joe Weatherley, Mason and myself all played age group cricket all the way up together so it is nice to play all together.”
Hampshire have won all three of their opening games with the white ball with impressive displays against Sussex, Surrey and Essex.
Taylor, who has been frustrated by a series of injuries in recent years, has got his first team chance after Dawson damaged his fingers.
But the Holybourne based ace is trying not to get ahead of himself despite his impressive showings. He said: “It was unlucky for Daws but I am really please I have been able to get some games under my belt and shown what I can do with the ball.
“I don’t try and think about the future. There are still a lot of games left in the competition where Daws is out so I just want to concentrate on them and do the best in those. My ultimate target is to win this competition and I will do everything I can do to help us do that.
“I feel like if I can keep on bowling how I am bowling, keeping the runs down, then hopefully pick up a couple more wickets and contribute with the bat, then I’ll be happy.”

Shrewton all-rounder Will Harries, pictured, has won a prestigious award by the competition organisers, The Cricketer magazine, for the best individual bowling performance in the second round of the Village Cup.
He returned a career-best  7-28 as the Shrews skittled Burbage for 94 a fortnight ago before completing a ten wicket win over their Wiltshire rivals.
It's set up an intriguing Dorset/Wiltshire zone semi-final home tie against Parley on Sunday (1pm) when Shrewton will be anxious to avenge a recent Hampshire League thrashing by the Dorset club.  Parley ran up 244-7 before shooting Shrewton out for a meagre 60 to win by 194 runs.
The two Hampshire county semi-finals feature Easton & Martyr Worthy against Tichborne Park at Cockets Mead, and giant killers Bramshaw playing 2017 regional winners Liphook & Ripsley.  Bramshaw ko’d Langley Manor in the last round.
Despite playing in Hampshire League County 2, Bedhampton feature in the West Sussex group and, having beaten Emsworth last time out, now host Chidham & Hambrook at Bidbury Mead, where four members of the Hovey family are in the side (supported by seven others ..).

Operation Mop-Up is well under way at Bashley (Rydal) after the BCG was hit by an electrical storm on Monday evening, totally flooding the playing area.  Bashley are scheduled to host St Cross Symondians on Saturday, 12.30pm.

Hook & Newnham Basics’ cricketers will be up with the larks on Saturday morning as they prepare for arguably the longest day out in Southern Premier League history.
Dawn will barely have broken over North Hampshire when Matt Love and his troops assemble at 5.30am for the Division One trip to Ventnor’s Steephill bowl.
Then it’s off down the M3 to catch the 7 o’clock car ferry from Southampton to East Cowes and onward across the island to Steephill in good time for the pre-match warm up.
“It was the only time we could get a boat booking. It’s bank holiday and very busy,” explained Hook chairman Keith Lovelock.
“We’ll have plenty of time for a spot of beach cricket on the sand at Shanklin.”
Hook certainly won’t have any cause to rush through their overs as the earliest crossing they can get back to the mainland is 10.30pm !
“The lads will be lucky to get back to Hook by one o’clock on Sunday morning,” added Lovelock, who may take some persuading to keep the KGV bar open for the return of the team mini-bus.
“But at least we’ll stay for a beer or two in the Ventnor clubhouse, which is always a nice place to visit.”
Financial sideline : the trip is costing Hook & Newnham Basics a cool (wait for it) £500 ...

 

Fletcha Middleton and George Metzger shared a century partnership as Hampshire’s youngsters swept to a five-wicket win over Worcestershire in their opening ECB Under-15 County Championship 50-over group match at Stourport.
Middleton, left, hit an unbeaten 79 and Basingstoke’s Metzger 58 in a third-wicket stand of 115 to take Hampshire to within sight of Worcestershire’s 216 all out.
Earlier, openers Tom South (25) and George Pardoe (20) gave Hampshire a sound start, while South Wilts’ Ben Huntley biffed a quick-fire 21 not out to clinch victory with ten overs to spare.
Spin pair Joe Vaughan (3-38) and Mo Abbas (3-22) too the bowling credits, reducing Worcestershire from a solid 84-1 to 96-7, six wickets falling for 12 runs in mid-innings.

Rowledge pulled off one of their best national Village Cup results in recent seasons when they chased down a Valley End total of 198-7 to win by six wickets and earn a place in the Surrey county semi-finals against Blackheath on Sunday.
Valley End, who were playing top drawer Surrey Championship cricket last season, were well set at 91-1 (Justin Gray 57), but Chris Yates (3-39) and Tim Wheatley (2-37) caused a wobble and left them 102-5. Led by George Williams-Sales (43) and Ollie Dunnett (33), Valley End advanced to 198-7.
Pinch hitting Jake Wish fell early, but a well constructed century stand between the emerging Max Martin (37) and the evergreen David Lloyd eased Rowledge to 101-1 at drinks.  Lloyd went on to strike a vintage 82, while skipper Joe Randall whacked a quick 32 before two gigantic sixes by Joel Swan finished it off.
Surrey group semi-finals on May 27 are: Frensham v Oakwood Hill and Blackheath v Rowledge.

Three batsmen scored half-centuries as Bashley (Rydal) seconds maintained their fine start to the season with a third straight Southern Premier League Division 3 win by 23 runs over Gosport Borough.
Teenager Alex Turner (52), left, and James Underwood (50) notched their fifties before Mitch Wilson and Ross Grierson plundered 86 runs in a pre-tea assault which saw Bashley reach 244-6 (Sam Prathapasinghe 3-36)   .
Wilson hit four sixes in his unbeaten 68 while Grierson made 28 as Gosport paid the price for dropping their catches.
Lee Harrop (46 and New Zealand teen Liam Campbell (32) eased Gosport’s reply to 86-1, but a middle-order wobble, initiated by the evergreen Neil Taylor (4-25), saw four wickets fall for 36.
Greg Kitchen (35), aided by the lower order, took Gosport to 221-9 by stumps.
Fair Oak inflicted a second defeat on last year’s Hampshire League champions Portsmouth & Southsea, beating the County 1 winners by 51 runs.
Although Tom Hockenhull (33) and Philip Smith (25) made starts, Oaks were in trouble at 119-8 (Chris Turrell 3-19) and needed Rhys Oxley (39) to haul them out of the mire.
Fair Oak’s 167 proved too many for P & S as only Jack Davies (39) made a meaningful contribution in their 116 all out.
P & S fell away from 76-2, with the left-arm spin of Charlie Gwynn (4-18), Oxley (2-5) and left-armer Gregor McKenzie (2-39) taking the wickets.
A mid-innings wobble, which saw three wickets fall for nine runs, tended to knock the stuffing out of Fawley’s bid to overhaul South Wilts II’s total of 213-9.
Recovering from the loss of the Earl brothers with only 12 runs on the board, Fawley progressed to 147-3 initially through Australian Stu Plunkett (36) then Kumodak Sharma (58) and Will Crossley (42), who took the score on to 142-3.
Spinner Tom Pearce (3-32) interrupted the flow, dismissing both batsmen, and after a two-wicket break by Rob Pittman, Fawley were left 20 runs short on 193-9.
Ironically, South Wilts rallied after an even poorer start, opening pair Sam Pittman and Owain Phillips being dismissed for ducks.
Half-centuries by Wimborne recruit Joe Weld (54) and Pearce (54) redressed the balance before the artful Wayne Smith (2-43) had them both caught.
Adam Freeman (3-32) made further inroads before Rob Pittman’s timely 47 gave South Wilts a total they were able to defend.
Hambledon made it two wins from three with an easy eight-wicket win over Havant II (92), Henry Glanfield and Ian Turner sharing six of the wickets before Alex Willoughby’s 40 not out saw the Dons home.

Kieran Moors launched an astonishing display of six hitting to take Lymington seconds to within an ace of overhauling Purbrook’s 241-6 at the Heath.
All appeared lost when Moors, pictured, arrived at the crease with Lymington 123-7.
But eight huge sixes (mainly straight) and five fours later, the ginger-haired all-rounder had 84 runs to his name off 52 balls – and Purbrook were panicking.
That’s when Simon Williams, on debut as a qualified Premier League umpire, had to step in, saying: “Things got a bit heated as sixes whizzed around and I had to remind one or two of the players about the Spirit of Cricket”
Fortunately for them, with Lymington now 238-9 and needing only four to win, Martin Lee clean bowled Moors – and Purbrook celebrated a nerve racking three-run Premier Division 3 win !
Josh McCoy as Purbrook’s main man, with 57 and 3-58 return.

Tichborne Park crashed from 70 without loss to 118 all out and an eventual nine-wicket defeat at Rowledge, who celebrated their first Southern Premier Division Two win at Church Road.
The visitors appeared set for a decent total after the start Martin Cheyney (26) and George Ayling, with three sixes in his no nonsense 43, gave them.
But directly the openers were parted, Tichborne fell to pieces, with three wickets falling on 95 and the remainder going down like the proverbial pack of cards.
David Lloyd (3-21), Jake Wish and Steve Martin cashed in as Tichborne caved in inside 43 overs.
The left-handed Jake Wish (pictured) wasted no time in striking Rowledge to victory, with two sixes and nine fours in an unbeaten 71.
Paultons’ Jack Murrell (5-35) celebrated a maiden SPL five-wicket haul, but found himself upstaged by two Basingstoke & North Hants youngsters at May’s Bounty.
Matt Deadman (59) and Joe Oates (45) got Basingstoke, chasing Paultons’ 177, off the hook and paved the way towards a three-wicket win.
Rob Pike (32), Josh Metcalfe (32), Ross Grierson (27) and latterly Tony Richman (33) helped Paultons reach 177.
James Taylor hit the eighth Southern League century of his career, but was unable to spare his Totton & Eling side from a three-wicket defeat by St Cross Symondians II at Southern Gardens.
He carried his bat for an unbeaten 105 containing ten fours and shared in two half-century partnerships, the second with Ollie Perrin (33).
But Totton found their 218-7 (Dave Orchard 3-32) overhauled – despite having St Cross 107-5 at one stage.
Robbie Hadfield (55) and Matt Haworth, with a key 38 not out, turned the match around with an eighth wicket stand of 71, St Cross getting home with an over to spare at 219-7.
Trojans’ problematic outfield at Stoneham Lane got the thumbs up for the home match with Langley Manor to go ahead.
But that was as far as the good news went for Trojans, who were dismissed for 150 (Rhaul Bhome 40) and beaten by seven wickets, Conor Browne hitting 78 and Ollie Knight an unbeaten 42.

enager Nick Doubell hit a maiden Southern Premier League half-century and Lewis Mitchard celebrated a five-wicket haul as Sparsholt put their first Division 2 win points on the board with a 76-run victory over Waterlooville at the Norman Edwards Ground.
Sparsholt were already looking good for a decent score when Doubell (59) arrived at the crease with his side 121-4 on the back of Australian Sam O’Brien (39) and Dave Banks (33).
But his middle-order partnerships, initially with Sam Kennett (40) then Stuart Taylor (40) really cemented Sparsholt’s grip on the match at 272-8.
Waterlooville made a disastrous start, losing both openers with only two runs on the board.
Alex Shephard (45) and Archie Reynolds (37) redeemed the situation before both falling to the spin of Doubell (2-34).
Tim Jackson (26), who had earlier been hit for 49 off six overs, and Jon Hudson (24) kept the scoreboard ticking before becoming the first victims of Mitchard’s five-wicket haul.
The former Sarisbury Athletic all-rounder finished with 5-44 as Ville reached 196 all out.
It was a maiden league five-wicket return for Mitchard, who did celebrate a nap hand of victims, including a hat-trick, in Sparsholt’s recent Village Cup defeat by Liphook & Ripsley.

A commanding man of the match innings of 93 by Harry Munt was the chief reason for Liphook & Ripsley’s nail-biting four-run win over title favourites Bournemouth at Chapel Gate.
Openers Ryan Covey (21) and a fine half-century by Rob Nicklin (58) provided Liphook with a sound start but when Munt came to the middle at 40-1, 18 overs had already passed.
Munt then scored to all parts of the ground, with 8 fours and a six. He’s been in top early season form, with three fifty-plus scores already under his belt.
Wicket takers Rob Pack (2-62) and Ed Denham (3-56) were unable to stem the flow as  Munt & Co accelerated the score to 234-7, adding 128 in a free flowing final 14 overs.
Teenage Liphook quickie George Neave dismissed Bournemouth’s  Tom West and Simon Woodruff within four overs.
A partnership of 68 was provided by Park brothers, Nick (71) and skipper Chris (28) but it was Martin Miller (32) and a hard hitting 42 from Jake Hurley that set up the tight finish. Miller and Dave Kidner could only manage singles off the final over by the ever reliable Covey (3-46) to leave Bournemouth stranded four runs light on 230-7.
Calmore Sports dug themselves out of trouble before posting a competitive 191-7 which ultimately proved too many for Portsmouth at Loperwood Park.
Two wicket returns by Pardeep Bains (2-35) and Vickram Dawson (2-27) had the defending champions in some difficulty at 62-5 and later 104-6.
But led by Paul Proudley (42), James Rose (29), Darren Vann (22) and Mike West (16 not out), Calmore’s lower middle-order added vital runs by lifting the score to 191-7 (Ethan Randell 2-34).
Calmore opened by with the left-arm swing of Steve Wright (2-16) and spin of skipper Mark Lavelle (1-29) – and soon had Portsmouth in trouble.
The visitors plunged to 57-5, Dawson hitting 26 out of 42 before Wright pinned him leg before wicket.
Matt Shaw (41) and Paul Hungerford (19) effectively doubled the score, but from 110-5 Portsmouth lost their last five wickets for 39 runs and tumbled to 149 all out and a 42-run defeat.

Matt Love struck an unbeaten 70 to guide Hook & Newnham Basics to a five-wicket win over Hartley Wintney in the North Hampshire derby at the KGV.
Half-centuries by Will Kerr (59) and Dan Wrenn (50) enabled HW to post 230-8, a total that was always under pressure once openers Josh Buckingham (38) and Richie Willcock (37) had given Hook a sound start.
Love and Matt Buckingham (40) took HNB to the brink of victory before Dan Reynaldo (3-60) took a fifth wicket.

Hampshire second teamer Asher Hart smashed a boundary-strewn century to lead Andover to an eight-wicket victory over Old Tauntonians & Romsey, who plunged to a third successive Southern Premier League Division 1 defeat at London Road.
Hart, left, cracked three sixes and ten fours in his 102, which swept the Lions past OTs 221-9 with seven overs to spare.
Andover’s decision to insert OTs appeared to be a good one when the opening pace attack of Hart and Mike Adams pegged the visitors back with just 20 runs coming off the first ten-over power-play.
It was the introduction of seamer Luke Graham that led to the first breakthrough, soon followed by the second and third.
He trapped Harry Tulk (4) leg before, had Iain Woodhall superbly caught by Matt Hooper and then found the inside edge of Mitchell Elliot-Lee (25) to be well caught by wicketkeeper Matt Knight standing up.
At 56-3 after 20 overs, Andover were well on top but OTs started to rebuild with former Lion Stuart Tognarelli looking in fine form.
But Graham (3-23) pulled up lame one ball into his seventh over, tearing a hamstring and ruling himself out of the rest of the game.
Teenager Nathan Birks, bowling his first overs for the club, and evergreen offie Glyn Treagus were introduced into the attack and both bowled well, with the latter picking up the wicket of OTs captain, Jody Brown.
With Hampshire Under-17 spin all-rounder Joe Vaughan (38) in support, Tognarelli cruised past 50 and was the only player who cleared the ropes, striking four sixes and eight boundaries in his innings.
Reintroduced to the attack, Adams (2-30) clean bowled Danny Mogg and Keith Trodd
Tognarelli eventually departed, caught by Matt Hooper off the bowling of Birks, for a well-made 90. With a run-out of Shaun Redman off the final ball of the innings, OTs closed on 221-9. 
The Andover run-chase started in lively fashion with opening pair Ali Hooper (28) and Hart piling on 58 runs in the first ten overs before two wickets fell for 19 runs.
The incoming Treagus who took his time in setting the win up for the town side, rotating the strike  well, allowing Hart the chance to play his shots.
The Hampshire player whacked two sixes and twelve fours in a superb century and was unlucky to get caught with the scores tied.
Treagus went on to notch 51 not out, seeing the side over the line in the 43rd over. 

Andrew Ireland (42) rescued Sarisbury Athletic from a desperate 92-9 to 126 all out – a target which Southern Premier Division One visitors Ventnor were hard pressed to chase down at Allotment Road.
The islanders did scrap in by two wickets, largely thanks to Ben Woodhouse, left, who followed an inspired display of wicket-keeping with a match-winning 25 not out.
Woodhouse complemented bowling performances by the Russell brothers, Chris (3-16) and Dan (3-28) with a catch and three stumpings, the last of which removed Ireland, who had struck three sixes and four boundaries in a frantic last wicket assault.
After Martin Blackman (28) and Chris Russell (20) had eased their reply to 65-2, Ventnor collapsed, spinner Sam Hill (3-26) putting the outcome back in the balance at 97-6.
But Woodhouse kept his cool, scoring a key 25 not out, Dan Russell assisting the cause by clouting a couple of timely fours as Ventnor finished a relived 127-8.

It didn’t take too long for South Wilts skipper James Hibberd to bring his jubilant side back down to earth after they won by 91 runs and seriously dented Havant’s prospects of a third successive ECB Southern Premier Division title.
“You’re not playing to anything near your true potential and can do so much better with the bat and the ball,” he told his players as they relaxed with a cold beer in front of the Bemerton pavilion.
Harsh words after South Wilts had posted 260-9 (by some distance the SPL’s highest total of the day) and bowled Havant out for 169.
But Hibberd is striving to get the best out of his squad and clearly feels there are areas in which they can improve.
He said: “Having put 200 on the board by the 38th over, we should have scored 300; instead we collapsed and lost six wickets for 22 runs.
“But for James Hayward coming in and getting a timely 66, we could have tossed the initiative away.
“Tom Cowley and Ben Draper batted nicely to get 50s, but both know they should have gone on.
“But they are developing talents and will learn and become very good young club cricketers.”
Hibberd also told his bowling unit: “We didn’t bowl well. In fact, there’s a lot of room for improvement all round.”
Nonetheless, South Wilts were far too strong for a Havant side weakened by the departure of three of their recent title winning sides and, significantly, without Richard Hindley, their experienced all-rounder, on the day.
South Wilts thrived after surprisingly being put into bat in the Salisbury sunshine and profited from a typically fast start from Tom Morton (16) and Cowley.
Morton plundered a six over mid-wicket and two fours before falling into Havant’s cunning trap – Stu Ransley being strategically placed on the deep cover boundary and the ex-Ealing man picking him out a treat with one of his familiar high square cuts.
It didn’t halt the six-an-over run rate. Cowley and Will Wade (28) took the score to 101 as South Wilts’ vice-presidents tucked into their roast beef lunch, washed down by red wine.
Cowley (55) and subsequently Ben Draper (51) moved the total on and at 213-3, South Wilts were eyeing 300-plus on the board.
Instead, they collapsed, a bemused James Hayward watching on as six wickets fell for 22 runs,  Graham Burns helping himself to a 5-58 return as a succession of SW batsmen contrived to fall to his variable left-arm spin.
Fortunately for SW, Hayward didn’t and went on to strike a timely 66 not out (one six and eight fours) – an innings which put the game comfortably beyond Havant’s reach.  
The two-time champions needed a major contribution from one of their top order if they were going to offer a challenge – but none materialised.
Pete Hopson (34) and young Harry Gadd (34) did their best, but wickets fell regularly, the in-form Andy Gorvin being bowled by a peach of a ball from Steve Warner (2-31).
There was a brief rally at 87-5, but having reached 131, four wickets fell for eight runs, with Jack Mynott (2-37) and the developing Luke Evans (4-31) doing the damage.
Last pair Cam ‘Clive’ Prentice (19) and Jez Ord (14 not out) added 31, but it was purely academic by then.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t play our best and South Wilts were the better team,” said Havant captain Chris Stone.  “We didn’t quite get it right with the bat or ball.
“South Wilts put together some solid partnerships without any single player going onto to make a massive score.
“At times we were a bit unlucky with the ball going past the edge of the bat.
“We started to pick wickets up on a regular basis around the 35 over mark. By then, though, it was a little bit too late.
“If we had shown more consistency with the ball earlier then it might have been a different story. On the day we were not good enough.”

Cape Town all-rounder Hilio D'Abreau, pictured, hit a century and later took four wickets with his off-breaks as Burridge crushed a weakened St Cross Symondians by 100 runs to go joint top three rounds of ECB Southern Premier Division fixtures.
He hit 100 of Burridge’s 258-9 before whipping out for Symondians batsmen as the Winchester hosts folded from 118-4 to 156 all out.
Burridge weren’t in the best of health at 33-3 at the start of the South African’s innings, but a lively stand with the quick fire one-time Totton & Eling hitter Azim Chowdhury (49) soon balanced the books.  
Even so, Burridge were 141-6 when D’Abreau found late support from Rick Ankers (33) and Ollie Southon (24 not out) to get 258-9 on the board.
With several key players absent, St Cross Symondians didn’t have the clout to chase the target and relied on Billy Mead (35) and opener Tom Foyle (25) to get them to 159, D’Abreau’s off-breaks yielding a 4-39 return and the Chris James sponsored man-of-the-match award.
Burridge are joint top with the Hampshire Academy, whom they host at Botley Road this Saturday. St Cross Symondians go to Bashley (Rydal) without Lord’s bound Billy Mead but, hopefully, with Hampshire all-rounder Ian Holland in their line up.

Bournemouth University fresher Dan Goodey celebrated a maiden ECB Premier League ‘fiver-for’ as he led Bashley (Rydal) to a 108-run victory over arch rivals New Milton at Fernhill.
He took 5-28 to send the Green & Golds crashing to 70 all out after Bashley had recovered from an uncertain start to post 178.
Goodey, pictured, who plays for Plymouth in the Devon Premier League out of term time, tore through Milton’s lower order when he returned for his second spell.
“He bowled really well on a pitch that, by then, was doing all sorts,” said Bash skipper Michael Porter.
“He’s taken a fair few four-wicket hauls in the past, but this was his first five-four.”
Left-armer Brad Currie (3-9) did the initial damage as New Milton tottered at 18-4, with Ryan Beck (29) putting bat to ball and the only batsman to make his mark.
New Milton crumbled from a later 39-4 to 70 all out as Goodey cashed in.
Earlier, Bashley wobbled at 47-4 – George Watts (3-26) and Lee Beck (2-34) taking two wickets each – before Josh Digby (51) and Tom Jacques (50) struck half-centuries in a fifth-wicket stand which effectively decided the game.  They added 91 as Bashley made 178, Nic Gargaro taking 3-33.

Tom South hit a maiden half-century and Tom Scriven an unbeaten 52 as the Hampshire Academy strolled to a six-wicket win over promoted Basingstoke & North Hants on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.
They eased past ‘Stoke’s 168 with ten overs to spare to claim a second ECB Southern Premier Division win in three outings.
It was the first time this season Basingstoke had completed a match and, on the evidence of their limp batting performance, skipper Mitchell Stokes will be demanding extra net practice for his run shy side this week.
All bar one of the dismissed batsmen got into double figures, but only Laurence Benge (26), at nine, got beyond 20, although there were 24 sundries.
Eight-eight of Basingstoke’s runs came in boundaries.
England Under-19 all-rounder Tom Scriven (3-32) and the emerging Chris Searle (3-41) took six of the first seven Basingstoke wickets to fall, with Scriven adding a run-out to his collection.
From 110-7 Basingstoke’s lower-order did rally and largely through wicketkeeper Benge they put 168 on the board.
Felix Organ (26) and South (pictured) provided a half-century start for the Academy, the Old Netley & Highfield raised left-hander going on to hit six boundaries in his best yet 52.
Scriven went on to strike a six and five fours as he eased the Academy home with an unbeaten 52, with East Woodhay product Toby Albert (21) in support.

SOUTHERN PREMIER CRICKET LEAGUE
RESULTS: ROUND 3 (19 May 2018)

ECB PREMIER DIVISION

Alton 168 (Myers 71, Mark Heffernan 26, Metcalfe 4-9)
Lymington 168 (Scott 95, Ballinger 3-30)
Match tied.

Bashley (Rydal) 178 (Digby 51, Jacques 47, Gargaro 3-33)
New Milton 70 (L Beck 29, Goodey 5-28, Currie 3-9)
Bashley (Rydal) won by 108 runs.

Basingstoke & North Hants 168 (Benge 26, Scriven 3-32, Searle 3-41)
Hampshire Academy 169-4 (Scriven 52*, South 52, Organ 26)
Hampshire Academy won by six wickets.

Burridge 258-9 (De Abreu 100, Chowdhury 49)
St Cross Symondians 156 (De Abreu 4-39)
Burridge won by 102 runs.

South Wilts 260-9 (Hayward 66*, Cowley 55, Draper 51, Wade 28, Burns 5-58)
Havant 169 (Gadd 34, Hopson 34, Evans 4-31)
South Wilts won by 91 runs.

DIVISION 1

Old Tauntonians & Romsey 221-9 (Tognarelli 90, Vaughan 38, Graham 3-23)
Andover 222-2 (Hart 102, Treagus 51*, A Hooper 28)
Andover won by eight wickets

Liphook & Ripsley 234-6 (Munt 93, Nicklin 58, Denham 3-56)
Bournemouth 230-7 (N Park 71, Hurley 42, Miller 32*, C Park 28, Covey 3-46)
Liphook & Ripsley won by three runs

Calmore Sports 191-9 (Proudley 42, Rose 29, Hardy 24)
Portsmouth 149 (Shaw 41, Dawson 26, Wright 2-16)
Calmore Sports won by 42 runs.

Hartley Wintney 230-8 (W Kerr 59, Wrenn 50)
Hook & Newnham Basics 231-5 (Love 70*, M Buckingham 40, J Buckingham 38, R Willcock 37, Reynaldo 3-60)
Hook & Newnham Basics won by five wickets.

Sarisbury Athletic 126 (Ireland 42, C Russell 3-18, D Russell 3-27)
Ventnor 127-8 (Blackman 28, Woodhouse 26*, S Hill 3-26)
Ventnor won by two wickets.

DIVISION 2

Paultons 177 (Richman 33, Pike 32, Metcalfe 32, Grierson 27)
Basingstoke & North Hants II 181-3 (Deadman 59, Oates 45)
Basingstoke & North Hants II won by seven wickets.

Tichborne Park 118 (Ayling 43, Cheyney 26, Lloyd 3-21)
Rowledge 121-1 (J Wish 71*)
Rowledge won by nine wickets.

Sparsholt 272-8 (Doubell 59, Taylor 40, Kennett 40, O’Brien 39, Banks 33)
Waterlooville 196 (Shephard 45, Reynolds 37, Jackson 26, Mitchard 5-44)
Sparsholt won by 76 runs.

Totton & Eling 218-7 (J Taylor 105*, Perrin 33, Orchard 3-32)
St Cross Symondians II 219-7 (Hadfield 55, Haworth 38*)
St Cross Symondians II won by three wickets.

Trojans 150 (Bhome 40, Mooney 3-13)
Langley Manor 152-3 (Browne 78, Knight 42*)
Langley Manor won by seven wickets.

DIVISION 3

Bashley (Rydal) II 244-6 (M Wilson 68*, Turner 52, Underwood 50, Prathapasinghe 3-36)
Gosport Borough 221-9 (Harrop 46, Kitchen 35, Campbell 32, Taylor 4-25, S Ridley 3-30)
Bashley (Rydal) II won by 23 runs.

Havant II 92 (Glanfield 3-7, Turner 3-8)
Hambledon 93-2 (Willoughby 40*, Barnard 30*)
Hambledon won by eight wickets.

Fair Oak 167 (Oxley 39, Hockenhull 33, Smith 25)
Portsmouth & Southsea 116 (Davies 39, Gywnn 4-18)
Fair Oak won by 51 runs.

Purbrook 241-6 (McCoy 57, Figgins 34, Mengham 28, Runswick 28)
Lymington II 238 (K Moors 84, Adams 34, Barton 33, Agha 31, Mengham 3-25, McCoy 3-58)
Purbrook won by three runs.

South Wilts 213-9 (Weld 54, Pearce 54, R Pittman 47, Freeman 3-32)
Fawley 193-9 (Sharma 58, Crossley 42, Plunkett 36, Pearce 3-32)
South Wilts II won by 20 runs.

Brad Taylor and Felix Organ hit big centuries while sharing a 339-run stand as Hampshire amassed 555-7 declared against Kent in their Second Eleven Championship opener at The Ageas Bowl.
Organ made 163 and captain Taylor 182, the pair hitting 24 and 22 fours respectively and two sixes apiece.
They had been due to play on opposite side’s in today’s ECB Southern Premier League match between the Academy and Basingstoke & North Hants on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground, but Taylor is likely to pull out of the Basingstoke squad after being named in Hampshire’s 15-man squad for the opening Royal London Cup tie against Sussex at Hove.
The Academy name an unchanged side, but Basingstoke replace Max Harsham with Brad Neal.
Academy: F Organ, Kantolinna, Middleton, Scriven, South, Metzger, S Currie, Pardoe, Mo Abbas, Reynolds, Searle.
Basingstoke: Dan Belcher, Craig Williamson, Graham Porter, Ash Neal, Max Harsham, Laurence Benge, Ben Thane, Brad Taylor, Mitch Stokes, David Griffiths, Martyn James, Brad Neal.

It may be only round three in a so far truncated ECB Southern Premier League programme, but there’s no hiding the significance of tomorrow’s ‘old firm’ South Wilts-Havant showdown at Bemerton, 12.30.
The pair have dominated SPL cricket for the past six years, Havant having ended South Wilts’ four-season domination by taking the title in each of the past two seasons.
Alongside Bashley (Rydal) and arguably Burridge they remain top dogs and tomorrow’s outcome will give the winners a chance to make early ground in the embryo leadership struggle.
South Wilts thrashed their old rivals by 150 runs in last season’s corresponding match but, despite suffering a similar hammering in the ECB Cup at Normandy a day later, bounced back to win the league.
“It was a remarkable turn around. I don’t think they lost another game all season – and that’s what you’re up against. They are a very dangerous opponent,” warned SW captain James Hibberd.
“They’ve lost a few top names this season, but are still strong. 
“We can’t afford to lose again – like against Burridge on the opening day – so it’s a significant one for us.”
Steve Warner returns to sharpen the South Wilts attack.  Significantly, Havant are without influential all-rounder Richard Hindley. side.
South Wilts: Morton, Cowley, Wade, Draper, Godsal, Hayward, Mynott, Hibberd, Evans, Murray, Warner.
Havant: Stone,Bulled, Ransley, Hopson, Gorvin, Gadd, Morgan, Prentice, Jerry, Burns, Ord.
In-form Bashley (Rydal) skipper Michael Porter has warned his team-mates to “be full prepared and motivated” when they visit nearby Fernhill for the first of the season’s New Milton derbies.
“Our grounds are less than a half-mile apart so the rivalry in intense and they’ll be ready and waiting for us, none more so than Jake Lilley” he warned.
“We’ve come a cropper at Fernhill before, so we’ve got to be fully focussed and on our game.”
The return of the excitable Chris Ridley behind the stumps will fuel Bashley in the field, the gloveman having missed last week’s three-run defeat by South Wilts.
Dorset’s Josh Digby is expected to switch back to his opener’s role after hurting his hand last week.
Jake Lilley is set to line up against his former Bashley club mates, but has yet to reveal who (Aussie style) he's 'targeting'.  Toby Edwards returns after missing the rain abandoned Burridge trip.
New Milton: R Beck L Beck D Loader G Watts J Lilley T Arnold N Gargaro R Hussey J Haggaty T Edwards S Watts
Bashley (Rydal): Andrew, Digby, Taylor, Porter, Morris, Jacques, Holly, Ridley, Thomson, Goodey, Currie.
Lymington’s Isle of Wight links continue to grow with Ventnor-raised Ross Whyte the seventh and latest Vectis player to join the New Forest club.
He debuts against Alton at the Sports Ground, where the Brewers bring in Joe Paul for Alex Hammond.
Lymington: Beetham, Metcalfe, Moors, Scott, Hand, Calcott, Cox, Whyte, Procter, Grady, Willis
Alton: Hammond, M.P.Heffernan, Marais, Harris, Myers, M.J.Heffernan, Paul, Mortimer, Salmon, Ballinger, Bochereau.

 

 

Calmore Sports skipper Mark Lavelle is demanding his defending Southern Premier Division 1 champions stop throwing away potentially winning positions.
Twice already this weather truncated season Calmore have let the opposition off the hook.
“We had Ventnor 142-6 and let them score 290 and last week, even worse, Andover were nine down for 141 and went on to post 231,” he mused.  “It’s key we nail these sides when we are on top.”
Portsmouth visit Loperwood Park, having been relieved to get out of jail at 87-7 at Steephill last week.
Calmore Sports: Lavelle, Hardy, Johns, Manning, Holloway, Proudley, Vann, Rose, West, Wright, Ducellier.
Promoted OTs & Romsey have lost both their opening games to Hook & Newnham Basics (four wickets) and Bournemouth (by 96 runs).
They go to Andover without the Newman brothers (Rob is pictured left)– Hampshire’s Asa Hart keen to make an impression with the bat for his new club.
Andover: Hooper M, Hooper A, Hart, Arnold, Treagus, Birks, Liney, Knight, Andrews, Graham, Adams.
OTs & Romsey: Brown, Trodd, Woodhall, Bampton, Mogg, Tognarelli, Smith, Folkestone, Redman, Vaughan, Tulk.
Sarisbury Athletic got their season off to a positive start with a 75-run win over Liphook & Ripsley and had Hartley Wintney in trouble at 129-8 when the rains came last weekend.
Skipper Ricky Rawlins is anxious to push on when Ventnor visit Allotment Road, but with former Worcestershire pace bowler Chris Russell now at the helm, the islanders are a tougher nut to crack.
Sarisbury Athletic: Rawlins, Floyd, Clouting, Nightingale, J Hill, Dunn, Sanders, Ireland, Wright, S Hill, Jewell.
On the eve of Liphook & Ripsley’s long haul visit to Chapel Gate, captain Chris Park remains confident Bournemouth’s top order will begin to fire.
Lions have endured early struggles with the bat during their opening two SPL1 clashes but have dug in to secure an unbeaten start to the campaign.
The Chapel Gate outfit found themselves 28-4 against Andover before Jake Hurley’s unbeaten 51 got them over the line to win by four wickets. And 106 from Ed Denham emailed a rescue act for Bournemouth, who were 46-4 four before beating Old Tauntonians & Romsey by 66 runs last time out.
Park said: “It’s a strong batting line-up but the top five or six have to take responsibility. It’s nothing I am overly concerned about. It is early season and, with a lack of pre-season outside for batsmen on grass pitches, it’s still bubbling up nicely and the lads are working hard.
“The more consistent we get as a top six, we will hopefully get a big score on the board to put teams under pressure in the second innings. People like Nick, my brother, I am not overly concerned about but I’d like to see the young lads dig in and get some scores.”
Dave KIdner replaces teenager Ollie Breckon while Lions are set to make a change at the top of the order with Tom West coming in to replace the unavailable Ben Bridgen.  Opener West scored a century against Liphook when the sides met at Chapel Gate in 2016.
“He is a quality player and is really keen to play first-team cricket,” added Park. “It is a good opportunity for Tom to get stuck in and hopefully he can get a score in the next couple of weeks.”
Bragging rights are up for grabs at the KGV where Hook & Newnham Basics entertain Hartley Wintney. James Beck and Will Ross are absent for the visitors.
   

It appears Trojans have been given the go-ahead to host their scheduled Southern Premier League Division 2 home match against Langley Manor.
Well chronicled problems with the lower outfield at Stoneham Lane led to the curtain raiser against Sparsholt being switched to Locks Lane, following a ground inspection it seems to have been cleared to play.
It’s not been the best of starts for Langley Manor, who lost their SPL2 opener at Basingstoke & North Hants and were then knocked out of the Village Cup by Bramshaw.
Trojans won by two runs at Sparsholt and were rained off at Waterlooville at 106-6.
Langley Manor (from): Budd, Browne, Harris, Wheeler, Morgan, Hamid, Brown, Spencer, Ponting, Knight, Jerram, Mooney.
Ben Walker, Totton & Eling’s prize pre-season signing from Havant, underwent surgery on his ruptured left Achilles this week and hopes to watch the St Cross Symondians II match at Southern Gardens.
Promoted Waterlooville aim to progress their promising start at Sparsholt.  They beat Totton & Eling, but face a Sparsholt side determined to get a foothold after losing to Trojans and having last week’s visit by Rowledge rained out, with birthday boy Michael Haworth 44 not out.
Sparsholt: Frith, Banks, Haworth, O’Brien, Kennett, Doubell, Mitchard, Taylor, Doran, Weir, Whiting.
Tichborne Park go to Rowledge, who are purring after last weekend’s fine Village Cup triumph over Surrey Championship club Valley End, whom they beat by six wickets.
Rowledge: B Wish, Lloyd, S Martin, Baker, Swan, M Martin, Morant, Wilson, J Wish,    Moseley, C Yates snr.
Basingstoke & North Hants II host Paultons in the other game at May’s Bounty.