Basingstoke & North Hants teen Josh May (left) and promising Lymington all-rounder Josh Royan (right) shared an unbroken 136-run partnership in Hampshire Under-15s ECB Cup quarter-final tie with Middlesex.
But despite their gallant efforts, Hampshire were well beaten by six wickets with 14 balls to spare.
The pair had to pick up the pieces after Hampshire dropped to 104-5 after being put into bat on a damp East Woodhay surface.
Royan hit a six and 12 fours in his unbeaten 98, unfortunately losing the strike as his homed in on a century, while May struck 60 not out, including one lofted drive for six over extra-cover.
Atharua Prasad led Middlesex to victory with an unbeaten 90.

Tom Morton plundered an unbeaten 91 and took over the mantle of leading Southern Premier League run scorer as South Wilts thrashed relegated New Milton by eight wickets at Fernhill.
As South Wilts chased down a rain trimmed 145-run target, so Morton took his SPL run tally for the season to 712, leaving weather marooned Academy captain Felix Organ (649) in his wake.
The win inched South Wilts to within three points of leaders St Cross Symondians, whose visit to Bemerton on Saturday will be a probable make or break affair for both sides.
Morton, who hit 13 fours and two sixes in his seventh fifty-plus score of the summer, led the way as South Wilts romped home with 11 overs to spare.
They initially bowled their winless and relegated hosts out for 176, New Milton losing opener James Adams before Raff Hussey biffed five boundaries in a breezy 25.
Hussey’s departure as the second of three victims for James Hibberd (3-13) triggered a mini-collapse which saw Milton lose three wickets for one run.
Newly wed Lee Beck (42) held things together as the Green & Golds plunged to 110-8 before the tail began to wag.
Nick Gargaro and Dan Loader started the ball rolling before recently appointed skipper George Watts cracked two sixes and four boundaries in a valiant 40, adding 41 for the tenth wicket with Josh Arnold before Arthur Godsal (3-26) ended the fight-back.
Rain trimmed South Wilts’ target to 145 off 38 overs – a task they completed without overdue fuss.
Jack Mynott (21) made half the 42-run opening stand with Morton who, sensing the need to get things done and dusted with more threatening weather about, put bat to ball.
He lost Will Wade cheaply, but had teenage debutant Jack Stearman (20 not out) for company as he fired South Wilts comfortably to their victory target.

Hampshire left-hander Jimmy Adams hit his third century in four matches as St Cross Symondians continued to set the pace at the top of the ECB Southern Premier League with a rain adjusted 76-run win over Alton at the Green Jackets.
He hit a highest yet 144 (to take his four-match run tally to 425) as St Cross ran up a thumping 312-7 off 50 overs.
A succession of rain interruptions led to Alton being asked to chase 256 off 41 overs.
They overcame a disastrous start to post 180-6, with South Cross bowling with the proverbial bar of soap in the gathering gloom.
But the story could have been so different.
Alton had Tom Foyle back in the pavilion, bowled by Ben Mortimer for a third ball duck.
Soon after, teenager Dan Scott misjudged and then spilled a fairly regulation boundary catch when Adams had made only three.
The former Hampshire captain made the Brewers pay dearly, cracking three sixes and 15 fours in the dank, drizzly conditions.
He shared a massive 199-run second wicket partnership with Harry Came (77) before young Scott (3-44) redeemed himself with three wickets in quick succession.
But with Ed Ellis cracking a quick fire 48, St Cross marched on to an unassailable 312-7.
Alton’s reply could hard have begun in a more disastrous fashion.
Hampshire’s Ian Holland and Jack Bransgrove had Alton rocking at 9-3 and then 16-4 before the innings began to take any shape.
Scott Myers, with a nicely struck 65, and Mark Heffernan (40) rescued the situation before Ben Mortimer made another 40 to take the Brewers’ final score to 180-6 in the gloom.

Bashley (Rydal) stumbled to a fourth successive ECB Southern Premier League defeat when a Mitchell Stokes inspired Basingstoke & North Hants beat them by 25 runs in a run affected affair at May’s Bounty.
Stokes took 5-39 – his first five-wicket haul for four seasons – as Bashley slipped to 207-9, having been asked to chase a rain adjusted 233 off 42 overs.
Basingstoke initially posted 277-9 off their full 50-over allocation, having come flying out of the blocks on the back of Chris Jolley’s pinch-hit 40 off 21 balls, which contained two sixes and six fours.
It gave Basingstoke the perfect launch pad from which to post their largest total of the season.
Ben Thane (40) moved Basingstoke into treble figures, but losing three wickets for 19 runs got Bashley back into the game.
Teenager left-arm quick Brad Currie removed former South Africa Under-19 captain Sibz Makhanya as he returned to the SPL scene after a seven-match absence due to a stomach ailment.
From 145-4, Basingstoke were forced to rebuild – but teenage duo Toby Albert (62) and Max Harsham (20) did the trick a treat, steering the Bountymen to 277-9 as Sean Read (4-52) returned to the attack to finish with his best SPL figures.
Unfavourable weather conditions left Bashley to chase 207 in 42 overs – a situation that appeared promising after Michael Porter (63) had built on a steady 55-run start by Tom Jacques (28) and Neil Thurgood (25) and taken the visitors’ reply to 144-3.
But Stokes began to make inroads, taking out the entire Bashley middle-order as five wickets fell for 26 runs and any hope of victory disappeared.
Teenager James Turner hit 21 not out to get Bashley an extra batting bonus point.

Sarisbury Athletic’s prospects of nabbing the Southern Premier League Division One title from Bournemouth’s grasp depend entirely on them beating the perennial leaders in Saturday’s Allotment Road shoot-out.
While Bournemouth were marooned by Friday’s storm which swamped their Chapel Gate ground and led to the scheduled home match with Portsmouth being cancelled, Sarisbury grabbed a vital four-wicket win at Hook & Newnham Basics.
The lead pair will go into Saturday’s crunch match with Sarisbury trailing Bournemouth (252) by 26 points. 
A victory would create a mad scramble for the finish line, with Bournemouth hosting Hook & Newnham Basics and visiting Calmore Sports, and Sarisbury needing to get more points off their final matches with Andover and OTs & Romsey.
Channel Islander Tom Nightingale was Sarisbury’s match winner at the KGV, where the visitors chased down Hook’s 144 in 29 overs.
Opening pair Josh Hill (3-30) and Jordan Wright (3-34) called the tune as Hook wobbled at 32-4 before Matt Love (59) and Rhodes Franklin (40) put together an 82-run stand.
Tom Kitcher (4-25) nipped out the pair before Hook fell to 144 all out, four batsmen bagging ducks and eight players contributing a mere ten runs of the bat between them.
Shane Brewer (2-44) removed Sarisbury opening pair Ricky Rawlins (16) and Sam Floyd (18) and Richie Willcock accounted for third man Dan Clouting.
But Nightingale then took centre stage with a match winning innings, hitting two sixes and 11 fours in his unbeaten 78, even if young Will Gardner took 3-37 on debut.
Hook’s defeat has the alarm bells ringing at the KGV, because if Liphook & Ripsley win at Hartley Wintney on Saturday, either they or 2017 SPL1 champions Calmore Sports could be in the relegation zone going into the last two weeks of the season.
Andover’s scheduled home game with Ventnor was called off.

Liphook & Ripsley’s success in reaching the Lord’s final of the National Village Cup rubbed off on their previously poor Southern Premier League form – the rain adjusted 55-run victory over Calmore Sports at Loperwood Park bringing their first win points for six weeks.
With Suman Ganguly (left) hitting a century, Liphook posted a handsome 290-8 before restricting Calmore (chasing 194 off 26 overs) to 139-4 in near pitch darkness.
Calmore probably set a rather bizarre SPL record for the length of time spent in the field on an unpleasant wet afternoon.
“We started at 12.30 and we went back on the field at 5.45pm for the last eight overs of Liphook’s innings,” explained Calmore captain Mark Lavelle.
“The cut-off time for the game to be rained off was two minutes later, at 5.47pm.”
Calmore did eventually glean nine handy points out of a reduced 26-over affair, whereas the 19 Liphook took was absolutely crucial in their bid to stay up.
Harry Munt and Suman Ganguly shared in a splendid third-wicket double-century partnership which set up Liphook & Ripsley’s vital victory over Calmore at Loperwood Park.
Put into bat, Liphook initially benefitted from a steady opening partnership of 47 between Ryan Covey (25) and Gabe Broadhurst, who pulled a hamstring just before getting out.
They were followed by Harry Munt, whose especially strong on-driving propelled him to 87 in 99 balls. 
Partner in plunder, Ganguly, with a typically explosive 111 off 88 balls, struck 14 hard hitting fours and two sixes. 
The pair were chiefly responsible for the dispiriting target for Calmore of 290-8.
Only Paul Proudley (4-39) and Mark Lavelle (3-49), who reduced Liphook from 264-2, prevented even greater damage.
However, the game was seriously disrupted by showers which threatened to rob the visitors of invaluable winning points.
Calmore were finally set 194 in just 26 overs. In spite of a positive 48 from left hander Ben Johns and skipper Lavelle’s 31 not out, and batting in the near dark the target proved just too great, their innings finishing on 139-4.
Liphook’s long overdue win closes the gap between themselves and third-from-bottom Hook & Newnham Basics to 19 points, whereas Calmore (who go to Hook on Saturday) are only one point better off. 

A crushing eight-wicket win over Hartley Wintney has lifted Old Tauntonians & Romsey out of the Southern Premier League Division 1 danger zone – and left their North Hampshire opponents staring relegation in the face.
Whereas OTs now lie in fifth place, Hartley are anchored to the basement, effectively 56 points adrift with only 66 points (three games) left to play for.
Ironically, the pair fought out a thrilling SPL2 championship battle last season, OTs taking the bounty by virtue of a one-run win in the very last game of the season. Now Hartley Wintney are set for an immediate return to Division 2 cricket in 2019.
They never recovered after losing teenage captain Will Kerr to Danny Mogg (2-33) for an early duck and were soon reeling at 36-4 after a three-wicket blast from emerging left-armer James Trodd (3-20).
Jamie Teale got them up to 61 before Jodey Brown (3-16) and Matt Bampton (2-6) sent six wickets tumbling for 16 runs and Hartley Wintney to 77-9.
Hampshire Under-15 all-rounder Harry Broderick got Hartley up to 97 all out, but such a meagre total was never likely to test OTs, who polished off the target inside 17 overs.
Elliott Mitchell-Lee led the way with 47 not out and completed the formalities alongside Harry Tulk (20).
OTs win has got local rivals Calmore Sports looking anxiously over their shoulders – last year’s Division 1 winners being only 20 points ahead of second-from-bottom Liphook & Ripsley after losing by 55 runs to the Lord’s Village Cup finalists.

• Dave Vokes has snapped a plethora of quality action photographs of this match which can be viewed on his website www.lmiphotography.co.uk/Cricket
  

Teenage Langley Manor all-rounder Elliott Ponting (left) made his third 70-plus score in four Southern Premier League matches, hitting an unbeaten 75 at Rowledge.
Despite his efforts, promotion chasing Rowledge clung on by three runs as the Manor finished at 181-6, chasing their hosts' 184 all out.
Ben Morgan (3-13) and Luke Mooney (3-41) shared six of the wickets as Rowledge recovered from an indifferent start to made 184 (Chris Yates 48),
while Ponting had to carry the baton after the visitors had slipped to 104-5.
Steve Harris (22) and Mooney provided support, but Ponting couldn't quite get Langley Manor over the line.
The narrow three-run win leaves Rowledge 23 points clear of St Cross Symondians II, who come to the village on Saturday week, August 25.
Rowledge’s two other games are against relegation threatened Totton & Eling and Trojans while St Cross Symondians II - rained off at Waterlooville, with the hosts 32-0 – entertain Langley Manor and Paultons.

A reunion of the New Milton side of 1973-75 will take place at Fernhill on Saturday (18th August) to watch the New Milton v Lymington ECB Southern Premier Cricket League Premier Division derby, which starts at 12.30pm.
They are hoping that players such as John Wolfe ( now Hampshire Cricket Board Chairman) alongside Paul Broomfield, Ian Bowie, Billy Paramore, Colin Partridge, Mike Lewis and Steve Moore will be there.
Ex Hampshire & England fast bowler David ‘Butch’ White, Dave Jose, Peter Watts, John Shippey and Dave Billington have all passed on.
New Milton’s Golden era saw the now Green & Golds win the 1973 and 1974 Hampshire Cricket League championship team (they were also runners up in 1975) , with the team winners of the New Forest CCA Sydney Wyatt KO in those three seasons. Milton won the County Ground KO at Northlands Road in 1976.

Sparsholt need a solitary point from Saturday’s visit to Tichborne Park and 25 from the last three matches to win the Southern Premier League Division 2 title outright.
But they weren’t in the best place at Locks Lane, defending 169 and Paultons’ 24-1 when play was abandoned.
Opening pair Jerry Frith (38) and Michael Haworth (21) got Sparsholt off to a bright start, but Dave Banks (39) and Stuart Taylor (30) had to rebuild things after Rob Pike (4-29) had broken through.
But 90-3 became 163-5 before the last five Sparsholt wickets fell for six runs – Josh Metcalfe taking 3-10.
Pike’s fine day ended when he was bowled by Banks for a duck, but Paultons’ prospects of a fourth straight win disappeared when the rain came down.
Neighbours Totton & Eling remain on the lip of the drop zone after a second consecutive win, a four-wicket success against visiting Basingstoke & North Hants.
Richard Vinn (56) and Joe Oates (41) revived Basingstoke from 73-4 (Dan Belcher 33) to 221-9 – but Totton got home with four overs to spare.
Totton were 20-2 before Zimbabwean Gary Chirmuuta (above), with a 17-four 96, and added key runs with Oli Thomas (29) before Kieran Geyle hit a decisive 54 not out.
Totton, who host Rowledge on Saturday and Sparsholt on the final day of the season, lie eight points clear of Tichborne Park, with a visit to Trojans on August 25 critical.

Tichborne Park routed Trojans by ten wickets – and took just 38 balls to do it !
Tom Allam (4-22) and spinner Ed Berry (4-19) skittled the relegation-bound Stoneham side for a meagre 77.
And then took just 6.2 overs to complete the quickest Southern Premier League victory in history.
Only Touqeer Ahmed (36), last out at 77, put up any fight at all as Trojans were carved apart by Allam and Berry – their innings ending in 24.1 overs.
With rain threatening, Allam (left) put bat to ball, clearing the boundary rope four times, along with scoring four other boundaries, in his 47 not out.
Martin Cheyney joined in the boundary spree, hitting an unbeaten 26.
The ten-wicket hiding left Trojans facing almost certain relegation, 54 points adrift at the bottom with three games left.

Fair Oak still need another 18 points to clinch the Southern Premier League Division 3 championship after their top-of-the-table clash with South Wilts II was washed out at tea.
But they will be crowned champions if they beat relegation threatened Gosport Borough at Lapstone Park on Saturday, 12.30.
They probably fancied their chances of a potentially title winning victory after restricting the second placed Salisbury side to 169-9 at tea.
But when rain swept in across Salisbury Plain and soaked Bemerton, play was abandoned.
Earlier, South Wilts were indebted to Rob Franklin’s unbeaten 58 for pulling them out of the mid-afternoon mire.
Struck by two early Nick Bass (2-16) blows, South Wilts were struggling at 61-5 (Tom Berzins 23) when Franklin [Pictured by Roy Honeybone] joined Tom Pearce (23) in a sixth-wicket partnership which effectively doubled the score.
The pair lifted South Wilts to 120 before leggie Rufus Bullough (3-32) took the first of his three wickets which led to the hosts being pegged to 169-9.
South Wilts dropped out of the promotion frame to third after Purbrook beat Portsmouth & Southsea by 44 runs to sneak into second place, albeit by a mere two points.
Purbrook posted 218-7 (Josh McCoy 58) and, despite Matt Benfield’s 70, bowled P & S out for 176, Aaron Dean taking 4-42 and Brad Mengham 3-21.
Benfield, who made 92 the previous week against Hambledon, took his run tally for the season to 400 – a remarkable achievement considering he’s been playing with an Achilles injury – and against medical advice – in recent times.
It’s between Purbrook, and the second teams of Bashley (Rydal) and South Wilts as to who goes up alongside probable champions, Fair Oak.
The situation is quite complex as Purbrook receive Bashley on Saturday and visit South Wilts in the final round of matches on September 1.

Fawley and Lymington seconds remain in the two Southern Premier League Division 3 relegation places after their potentially decisive basement battle was abandoned.
The ‘most win’ affair between the two New Forest ‘perimeter’ clubs was washed out in the 42nd over of the afternoon session, with Lymington handily placed at 181-5.
Skipper Oli Kelly (pictured) had made 54 and Guy Layman was 30 not out when the Holbury rains came.
The washout means Fawley going into their last three matches five points adrift of Gosport Borough, whose 36-run defeat by Havant II has the alarm bells ringing even louder at Privett Park.
Lymington, whose visit to Gosport on Saturday week will surely be crucial, are effectively nine points behind the Borough.
But they also have champions designate Fair Oak and South Wilts II still to play.
Gosport’s loss at Havant came after their hosts had posted 245-5, with Simon Loat hitting 90 and Andy Gorvin 51 not out.  Kiwi teenager Liam Campbell made 74 as the Borough made 209 in reply, Gorvin taking 4-32.
Fourth placed Bashley Rydal’s home match with Hambledon was abandoned with the visitors’ 132-3.

SOUTHERN PREMIER CRICKET LEAGUE
RESULTS: ROUND 15 – 11 AUGUST 2018

ECB PREMIER DIVISION

Basingstoke & North Hants 277-9 (Albert 62, Thane 41, Jolley 40, Read 4-52)
Bashley (Rydal) 207-9 (target score 233 off 42 overs)(Porter 63, Jacques 28, Thurgood 25, Stokes 5-39)
Basingstoke & North Hants won by 26 runs.

Havant 52-2 v Hampshire Academy. Match abandoned after 16 overs.

New Milton 170 (L Beck 42, Watts 40, Hibberd 3-13, Godsal 3-26)
South Wilts 145-2 (target score 146 from 38 overs)(Morton 91*)
South Wilts won by eight wickets.

St Cross Symondians 312-7 (Adams 144, Came 77, Ellis 48, Scott 3-44)
Alton 180-6 (target score 256 off 41 overs)(Myers 65, Heffernan 40, Mortimer 40)
St Cross Symondians won by 76 runs.

Match postponed :Lymington v Burridge.

DIVISION 1

Hartley Wintney 97 (Brown 3-16, J Trodd 3-20)
OTs & Romsey 98-2 (Mitchell-Lee 47*)
OTs & Romsey won by eight wickets.

Hook & Newnham Basics 144 (Love 59, Franklin 40, Kitcher 4-25, J Hill 3-30, Wright 3-34)
Sarisbury Athletic 148-6 (Nightingale 78*, Gardner 3-37)
Sarisbury Athletic won by four wickets.

Liphook & Ripsley 290-8 (Ganguly 111, Munt 87, Covey 35, Proudley 5-42, Lavelle 3-49)
Calmore Sports 139-4 (target score 194 off 26 overs)(Johns 48, Lavelle 35, Cook 27)
Liphook & Ripsley won by 55 runs.

Matches postponed: Andover v Ventnor, Bournemouth v Portsmouth.

DIVISION 2

Basingstoke & North Hants II 221-9 (Vinn 56, Oates 41, Belcher 33, Geyle 3-38)
Totton & Eling 224-6 (Chirmuuta 96, Geyle 54*, Thomas 29)
Totton & Eling won by four wickets.

Rowledge 184 (Yates 48, Randall 34, Morgan 3-13, Mooney 3-41)
Langley Manor 181-6 (Ponting 75*)
Rowledge won by three runs.

Sparsholt 169 (Banks 39, Frith 38, Taylor 30, Pike 4-29, Metcalfe 3-10)
Paultons 24-1.
Match abandoned, six overs of second innings.

Trojans 77 (Ahmed 36, Berry 4-19, T Allam 4-22)
Tichborne Park 78-0 (T Allam 47*, Cheyney 26)
Tichborne Park won by ten wickets.

Waterlooville 32-0 v St Cross Symondians II. Match abandoned 13 overs.

DIVISION 3

Hambledon 132-3 (Glanfield 37, Le Clerq 34) v Bashley (Rydal). Match abandoned.

Havant II 245-4 (S Loat 90, Jones 51*, Galliers 38, Gorvin 38)
Gosport Borough 209 (Campbell 74, Gorvin 4-32)
Havant II won by 36 runs.

Lymington II 181-5 (Kelly 54, Layman 30*) v Fawley. Match abandoned 41.1 overs.

Purbrook 218-7 (McCoy 58, Lee 43, Figgins 27, Wigley 3-30)
Portsmouth & Southsea 176 (Benfield 70, Dean 4-42, Mengham 3-21))
Purbrook won by 44 runs.

South Wilts II 169-9 (Franklin 58*, Bullough 3-32) v Fair Oak.  Match abandoned at tea.

St Cross Symondians take a slender three-point lead into next Saturday’s top of the table ECB Southern Premier League showdown against South Wilts at Bemerton.
While Burridge watched the rain fall and wash out their match at Lymington, St Cross and South Wilts powered to key victories.
With Hampshire’s Jimmy Adams hitting his third century in four knocks, St Cross piled up a thumping 312-7 before Alton, chasing an adjusted 210 to win off 41 overs, made 180-6 in reply.
South Wilts, whose meet-up with St Cross at Wilton Road in six days time will have a significant impact on the outcome of the title race, bowled relegated New Milton out for 170 before Tom Morton plundered an unbeaten 91 in his side’s eight-wicket win.
In the only other completed Premier Division match, Basingstoke & North Hants beat Bashley (Rydal) by 26 runs, full details of which will appear in tomorrow’s Daily Echo.
Sarisbury Athletic’s four-wicket win at Hook & Newnham Basics trimmed Bournemouth’s lead at the top of Division 1 to 26 points in advance of next week’s top-two clash at Allotment Road.
Hartley Wintney are all but mathematically relegated after an eight-wicket thrashing at OTs & Romsey, while Suman Ganguly cracked a century as Liphook Ripsley won at Calmore Sports to ease their demotion fears.
Division 2 table toppers Sparsholt had their match with Paultons washed out after tea, but Rowledge held their nerve to beat Langley Manor by three runs, despite Elliott Ponting’s 71 not out.
Trojans are near enough down after being thrashed by ten wickets by Tichborne Park, but relegation rivals Totton & Eling beat Basingstoke & North Hants II.
The top of the table SPL3 clash between South Wilts II and leaders Fair Oak was rain abandoned, but at the bottom Havant II picked up a priceless 36-run win over Gosport Borough.
Fawley’s match with Lymington II was abandoned.

.A solitary point behind new leaders St Cross Symondians, Burridge believe they can better the runners-up finish of 2016 and win the coveted ECB Southern Premier League championship.
They travel to Lymington (12.30) chasing a fourth straight 50-overs win, while St Cross Symondians host an unpredictable Alton side always capable of an upset.
With four ‘white ball’ games left, one point separates the lead pair with South Wilts five points behind.
South Wilts visit relegated New Milton, whose two SPL and Hampshire League County Division 2 sides have lost all 26 matches they have played this season.
Burridge closed the gap with a Dan Stancliffe inspired four-wicket win over Basingstoke & North Hants last week.
Stancliffe hit a match winning 54 not out after former Hampshire and Kent paceman David Griffiths had ripped out the entire Burridge top order with five wickets in seven amazing deliveries.
Will Steward, who will captain Burridge for the remaining four games, said: “The Basingstoke win was massive for us.
“There are just minor differences between us and St Cross Symondians.
“We missed out on some bonus points in the times games, not getting to 250 when we needed to, but that’s the only difference really.
“There is a belief we can win the title. At the start of the season we put together a decent side and have played some good cricket.”
Burridge expect to be unchanged at Lymington, who upset the championship applecart by winning at South Wilts, the then leaders, last week.
Henry Edwards blasted Lymington to a three-wicket win with a boundary laden 76 and plays again at the Sports Ground.
As previously reported, all-rounder Matt Metcalfe (left) has replaced Simon Beetham as Lymington captain.
Lymington: Metcalfe, Hand, Rogers, Scott, Edwards, K Moors, Grady, Fisher, Royan, C Moors, Hunt.
Burridge (probable): Steward, Chowdhury, Collings-Wells, Lock, De Abreu, Savident, Stancliffe, Wright, White, Southon, McMurray.
Leaders St Cross Symondians look to field an unchanged side which means Hampshire pair Jimmy Adams and Ian Holland will play against Alton at the Green Jackets.
Adams, who grew up as a St Cross colt, has scored 351 runs in the past three matches, including two centuries.
St Cross Symondians: Adams, T Foyle, Came, Holland, Mead, Ellis, H Foyle, Ayres,  Bransgrove, Mitchell, Woolvine.
South Wilts expect all-rounder Arthur Godsal to have recovered from a groin injury for the visit to New Milton.
“It’s a 22-pointer for us,” emphasises skipper James Hibberd. “Every point count now and with St Cross Symondians coming to Bemerton next week we’ve got to pull out all the stops at Fernhill.”
Newly engaged all-rounder James Hayward continues to sit it out with a broken hand, fortunately not his ring finger.
South Wilts: Morton, Cowley, Wade, Mynott, Draper, Godsal, Hibberd, Weld, Evans, Murray, Warner
Hampshire Academy captain Felix Organ is under pressure to cling on to his niche as leading Premier Division run scorer.
A recent dip in form has led to Organ’s 649 run tally coming under threat from Tom Morton (621), Harry Came (552) and Academy team-mate Tom Scriven, with 524 runs.
Organ should enjoy the benefit of an Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground surface when the Academy host fallen champions Havant.
The Academy give an opportunity to promising Hampshire Under-15 left-arm spinner Freddie Gadd, who normally turns out for United Services.
Freddie will probably bowl against his against his elder brother Harry, who will bat in Havant’s top order.
Academy: Organ, Metzger, Scriven, Middleton, Currie, Lawrenson, South, Searle, Dale, Reynolds, Gadd.
Basingstoke & North Hants entertain unnamed Bashley (Rydal) at May’s Bounty.
Basingstoke: Jolley, Thane, Williamson, Makhanya, Harsham, Stokes, Albert, Griffiths, Thankachan, James, Benge

Coach Rick Marston insists Portsmouth are capable of causing an upset at Southern Premier League Division One leaders Bournemouth today.
The Southsea outfit travel across the Dorset county border looking to put a second consecutive dent in the pacesetters' title ambitions.
They have to negotiate the M27 and Cherries' soccer fans clogged A31 without start Melville all-rounder Fraser Hay, who has returned to his native Western Australia, but 17-year old Portsmouth Grammar School captain Joe Krooner-Evans comes in.
Marston believes Portsmouth have the quality to deliver a victory and he feel a change in the weather may go against Bournemouth's potent wicket-taking spin attack.
"Despite that loss at Ventnor, Bournemouth look as though they are going to run away with the league, but we're very confident we can give them a very good game," Marston predicts.
"It will be a young team of home grown players, with an average age of 21 years."
Bournemouth skipper Chris Park has kept faith with his charges as their push for the which could go down to the wire, with the Lions facing a tricky visit to second placed Sarisbury Athletic next week.
Beaten by 105 runs at Ventnor last time out, the league leaders have named the same team in a bid to bounce back against third-placed Portsmouth. 
Park said: “The lads have already refocused. It’s the same team and is tried and tested.
“We will put last weekend down to a minor blip and, hopefully, some home comforts mean we can get a good win.
“We are getting down to squeaky-bum time at the end of the summer and we need two or three wins over the next four games.”
With 11 wins from 14 fixtures, Lions are currently more than two points on average ahead of title rivals Sarisbury Athletic.
Sarisbury Athletic, 26 points adrift at the top, go to Hook & Newnham Basics, who ended Portsmouth's five-match winning spurt last weekend.


 

Old Tauntonians & Romsey are forced into three changes ahead of their vital Southern Premier League Division 1 relegation showdown with Hartley Wintney at the Romsey Sports Centre.
Influential batsman/spin all-rounder Rob Newman, teenager Jovan Dhariwal and opening bowler Jake Folkestone all miss the game which could ensure OTs survival, if they win.
Wicketkeeper Keith Trodd may be sidelined for the remainder of the season, but the return of his nephew James (15), from Academy and Hampshire U17 duties boosts an attack which will again be reliant on spin.
OTs currently enjoy a 43-point lead over Hartley Wintney, with whom they fought out an ultimately successful and dramatic battle for the SPL2 on the final day of the 2017 season.
But if Hartley were to repeat last weekend’s one-wicket win over Andover, when they chased down Andover’s 323-9, then the pressure will really mount.
OTs & Romsey: Mitchell-Lee, Vaughan, Woodhall, Tulk, Tognarelli, King, Brown, P Newman, Mogg, J Trodd, Bampton.
Mark Lavelle, who has led Calmore Sports to successive league titles, is fully aware of the ever decreasing gap between the top and bottom of Division 1.
“It’s getting very tight, with 43 points separating Portsmouth (third) from Liphook & Ripsley, in ninth place,” he points out.
Beaten three times in their last four outings, off-colour Calmore host a Liphook & Ripsley side certain to be on a high after clinching a place in the Lord’s final of the National Village Cup.
“Their priority was to get to Lord’s and now they’ll want to pull clear of the danger zone. It’s all too close for comfort,” Lavelle added.
“Calmore: Lavelle, Cook, Wright, Johns, Moss, Perry, Proudley, Vann, Woodhall, Newton, Ducellier.
Another significant fixture features Andover against on-song Ventnor at London Road, where Ali Hooper’s  multiple sporting injuries are taking a long time to heal.
Fortunately, Will Carr is available and links up with Matt Romer-Lee, who hit a superb 145 in a losing cause at Hartley Wintney last week.
Ventnor are buzzing after the three straight wins which have lifted them to fourth place in the log.
Andover: M Hooper, Hart, Carr, Ayers, Romer-Lee, Knight, Ballantine-Dykes, Graham, Adams, Jansen

Sparsholt are almost home and dry in Southern Premier League Division 2, requiring a win against Paultons to be assured of promotion and two more victories to be crowned champions.
They chase a 13th straight win when revived Paultons visit the Norman Edwards Ground, but will have a warning from skipper Jeremy Frith ringing in their ears before they take the field.
He points out: “Paultons have just won three games on the trot to pull clear from the immediate danger zone, so we need to pay them respect – at the same time reminding ourselves that we almost came a cropper at St Cross last week.
“We got a fair bit to do yet, so mustn’t get over-confident.”
Sparsholt: Frith, Haworth, Mitchard, Doran, Banks, Doubell, O’Brien, Taylor, Phagami, Weir, Williams.
Second placed Rowledge, their title hopes ended in last week’s defeat at Basingstoke, host Langley Manor, while St Cross Symondians II go to Waterlooville, who have lost their last three games.
Rowledge call up Hampshire Sixties all-rounder Chris Yates and Ian Metcalfe, while skipper Ben Wish continues his absence after breaking his collar bone playing touch rugby on a school tour to Australia.
Rowledge: C Yates Jnr, J Wish, Lloyd, Randall, Wilson, Metcalfe, Baker, Swan, Forbes, Keeley, C Yates snr.
With Ed Boyd getting married and several other key players absent, Trojans are depleted for the ‘six pointer’ against fellow strugglers Tichborne Park at Stoneham Lane.
Demoted from SPL1 last season, Tichborne desperately need a win to close the gap on Totton & Eling, who host Basingstoke & North Hants II.

Fair Oak require a maximum 36 points to seal the Southern Premier League Division 3 title – but they could more or less wrap it up with a victory over second placed South Wilts II at Bemerton, 12.30.
Beaten only once in 13 outings, Oaks enjoy a hefty 55-point lead over South Wilts – the Salisbury club being anxious to bounce back after last season’s relegation.
They are vying with Bashley (Rydal) II and Purbrook for the probable runners-up promotion spot.
Oaks miss hard hitting all-rounder Gregor McKenzie, but South Wilts expect to have experienced MCC spinner Rob Franklin back from first team duty and teenager Jack Stearman, pictured, brimming with confidence after scoring an unbeaten 122 for Wiltshire Under-17s against Dorset in midweek.
South Wilts II: Phillips, Berzins, Stearman, Prescott, Pearce, R Pittman, Franklin, S Pittman, Fisher, J Wade, Burton
Fair Oak: Hughes, Gradwell, Kemp, Smith, Abbas, Hockenhull, Bullough, Featherstone, Gwynn, Oxley, Stewart.
Bashley (Rydal), whose promotion prospects took a dip with a shock defeat at Lymington last week, have skipper Ross Grierson back at the helm when mid-table Hambledon visit the BCG.
Grierson has played in Bashley’s last six ECB Premier Division matches, taking a career-best 7-37 in late June, a spell which knocked Havant out of the title race.
Also back in the seconds, as they look to push their own promotion aspirations, are Phil Morris and Mitch Wilson.
Bashley (Rydal) II: Grierson, S Ridley, Tom O Sullivan, Underwood, P Morris, S Morris, M Wilson, Mike O Sullivan, Eede, Gates, Mills.
Purbrook, who are hot on the tails of South Wilts and Bashley (Rydal), visit Portsmouth & Southsea, aiming to avenge the 175-run defeat their hosts handed out at The Heath earlier this season.
                                                                                       Survival Saturday
Lymington’s win over Bashley last week has created unease at the bottom, where the gap is now closed between Fawley, Gosport Borough and Havant II.
It’s Survival Saturday as the bottom four square up, with Fawley hosting Lymington at Holbury, and Gosport Borough visiting Havant Park.
Fourth from bottom Gosport, nine points clear of the drop zone, are boosted by the return of Lee Harrop, teenage spin all-rounder Jack Richards and Craig Stares at Havant.
Kieran Earl is back for Fawley, but Lymington beef up their batting resources with Drew Robinson's return.
Fawley: C Earl, A Parratt, Munir, Smith, K. Earl, Bryers, Khajit Sharma, B Parratt,   Crossley, Freeman, Kumo Sharma.
Lymington II: Kelly, Agha, Barton, Whyte, Robinson, Attrill, Layman, Cox, Smith, Woodward, Willis.

Hampshire Under-15s
Back (from left): Paul Gover (coach), Zeph Wells (Ventnor), Jake Nichols (Bradfield College), Josh Bailey (Sway), Will Wyatt (Hook & Newnham Basics), Monam Abbas (Academy), Harry Broderick (Hartley Wintney).  Front: Josh Royan (Lymington), Josh May (Basingstoke & North Hants), Tom Prest (Canford/Academy), Casper Byers (Winchester College), Freddie Gadd (United Services)
 
Hampshire's youngsters have stormed into the ECB Under-15 Cup quarter-finals after sweeping all before them with seven straight victories in an undefeated west group campaign.
Academy prospect and skipper Tom Prest has led the way with several match winning scores and is the fifth highest overall run scorer in the competition.
The Canford all-rounder, along with left-arm spinner Mo Abbas and Ventnor’s Zac Wells, have been playing for the South & West at the ESCA Bunbury Festival at Millfield this week.
Hampshire face Middlesex YCs in the quarter-finals at East Woodhay, south of Newbury, on Wednesday (11am) and, if successful, will play in the ECB national finals at Kidworth, Leicestershire, on August 22/23.
Under-15 results -
Gloucestershire 230 (Naish 70, Prest 4-22, Abbas 4-52) Hampshire 232-2 (Prest 109, Nichols 42, Abbas 35). Hampshire won by eight wickets.
Hampshire 260-9 (Byers 77, Royan 38) Somerset 204 (Smeed 54, Baird 30). Hampshire won by 56 runs.
Devon 187-9 (Du'Gray 76) Hampshire 189-4 (Prest 73*, Nichols 44). Hampshire won by six wickets.
Hampshire 269-8 (Prest 85, Coombs 33, May 39) Berkshire 184 (Frisby 33, Butt 32, Perkins 31, Broderick 3-8, J Bailey 3-40). Hampshire won by 85 runs.
Gloucestershire 180 (Brennan 33, Broderick 4-28, Nichols 3-30) Hampshire 184-5 (Nichols 73*, Prest 30, D Bailey 24). Hampshire won by five wickets.
Hampshire 247-8 (Byers 45, Broderick 42, May 29, Konidena 6-44) Berkshire 193 (Lall 71, Nichols 4-39). Hampshire won by 54 runs.
Hampshire 284-9 (May 57, J Bailey 36, Byers 36, Abbas 36, Wyatt 32) Somerset 137 (Meadows 41, Prest 4-29, Broderick 3-24). Hampshire won by 147 runs.

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Bashley (Rydal) teenager George Pardoe hit a double century in Hampshire Under-17s run laden first innings victory over Somerset YCs in the three-day ECB County Championship at Totton & Eling's Southern Gardens.
Pardoe hit a six and  35 fours in a career-best 202 as Hampshire piled up a massive 662 after bowling Somerset out for 395.  Several weeks ago in his last match at Totton, Pardoe hit 93 and 111 against Gloucestershire YCs.
Hampshire's batsmen revelled on a docile surface, with George Metzger (80) and lower order trio Oli Southon (74), Abhay Gonella (56) and Will Lucas, with 54 not out, all cashing in.
Hampshire went for an outright win, but Somerset played out time, with 268-8 in their second innings.
Scores:
Somerset 395 (Kasey Aldridge 124, Sam Young 79, Freddie Gadd 4-49) and 268-8 (Aldridge 72, Lucas 3-50). Hampshire 662 (George Pardoe 202, George Metzger 80, Oli Southon 74, Abhay Godsal 56, Will Lucas 54, Aldridge 4-125). Hampshire first innings win.

CHARLES Janczur said it was his proudest moment on a cricket pitch when Liphook & Ripsley completed an emphatic victory over Mayfield on Sunday.
The Liphook captain will be even prouder if he lifts the National Village Cup at Lord’s after the final against North Yorkshire club Folkton & Flixton on September 16.
The semi-final was expected to be close, with Mayfield top of the Sussex League Division Two, but Liphook outclassed their opponents, cheered on by the many supporters who had made the journey to the scenic ground near Tunbridge Wells.
“It was a true team performance,” said Janczur. “We showed so much heart, courage and composure to deliver an excellent all-round performance.
“It was a big toss to win as we wanted to set a target of 200-plus and really put the pressure on them in the field with so much on the line.
“The home fans believed we were 40 to 60 short on a lovely batting wicket, but I knew if we started well with a couple of early wickets, they would find it very difficult. All the bowlers were excellent and showed great discipline to close out the game.
“It’s a dream come true for all the players and everyone involved with the club. We have huge amounts of interest and hope to take a huge army of fans to Lord’s when the big day comes around.”
Liphook will tread the same Grace Gates path as past winners Longparish (1987) and Hursley Park (1992) - who won the Village Cup at the second time of asking – and  Hambledon (1989) and Rowledge (1985) both beaten finalists.
Hampshire sides, in fact, appeared in six Lord’s finals between 1980 and 1992.
There were many more teams in the competition 30 years ago and it was a real achievement just to reach a regional final.
But that’s taking nothing away from Liphook who, four times in a row, have beaten four teams who were top of their respective leagues in Cookham Dean (Thames Valley), Oxford Downs (Cherwell), North Perrott (WEPL) and now Mayfield.

Choosing to bat first, Liphook found themselves up a classy opening attack in Joynal Ahmed and captain Robert Sharma (a major influence in the East Sussex club's win at Rowledge) and the signs were not good when Rob Nicklin and Harry Munt were back in the pavilion with only 23 runs on the board.
At that critical stage, Ryan Covey got his head down, setting himself to be the linchpin of the innings.
Suman Ganguly counter-attacked with a fast 25, including a massive six, only
to play on to James Chaplin.  Liphook 56-3.
Covey was to share two more important partnerships. The stand of 70 with George Neave changed the course of the game. Neave’s share was 51 off 48 balls. Technically correct, he reined in his aggressive instincts and played some strokes that a seasoned cricket writer described as ‘magnificent’.
Restrained or not, Neave still managed to hit one ball out of the ground. He was then lbw to leg-spinner James Allen (he was so plumb in front he actually walked !) and with Ric Williams also trapped in front, Liphook were suddenly 127-5.
Covey and Jonny Pryce added 53 precious runs before Covey was unluckily
run out for 68 off 92 balls.  His fierce straight drive smashed into the stumps at the non-striker’s end and amid the confusion, Covey was run out.
With five overs left, the returning Ahmed took a flurry of wickets, but Pryce
gave Sharma some ‘tap’ and was last out for 32 (37 balls), Liphook reaching 228 in the 40th and final over.
The well-watered pitch was well suited to Liphook’s seam attack.
Eastbourne College left-hand opener Harrison Tagg hit two lovely fours, but was then caught by Neave at short extra-cover off Ganguly, who then bowled Chaplin. Mayfield 23-2.
Janczur and Ganguly gave the batsmen hardly anything in these opening overs and although left-hand/wicketkeeper Harry Lloyd and Sharma added 33, Mayfield fell well behind the asking rate.
First-change Covey broke the stand and then dangerman Sharma, just after being dropped by Pryce at deep square, hit the ball straight back at Janczur, who used his height to take a fine return catch high to his right.
Mayfield stumbled from 56-2 to 67-6 and they were never going to come back from that.
Toby Wallace – top scorer with a breezy 27 – and Callum Saker put on 41, but Sean Burton broke the stand and cleaned up the lower order with 4-32 in 7.5 overs.
Dave Elliott bowled the only two overs of spin to take a wicket and Mayfield were bundled out for 125 in the 32nd over.
* As Liphook prepared for the post-match celebrations, the Mayfield chairman stood on the balcony and congratulated Liphook on their achievement and the manner in which they had played the game. His comments were so refreshing and warming, coming as they did 24 hours after the 'Hit Ball Twice' affair at Lymington and the fiasco at Minhead where a bowler had thrown the ball over the boundary to deny an opposing batsman his century. Liphook & Ripsley and Mayfield won a lot of friends last Sunday.
* • Folkton & Flixton beat Fillongley (Warwicks) by seven wickets in the other semi-final. The home team
posted 206-8, but Folkton needed only 34 overs to chase down the runs, with opener Richard Malthouse making 80.

Hampshire Seniors crashed out of the Sixties County Championship with an eight-wicket defeat by Yorkshire at Elland, near Huddersfield.
Only Lymington's Neil Trestrail (46) and former Saints footballer Graham Baker (30) made their mark as Hampshire, put into bat on a damp surface, were dismissed for 166, Phil 'The Power' Taylor taking 5-33.
A century partnership between England 60s star John Flintoft (70) and Colin Frank (62) swept Yorkshire to a comfortable victory and into the quarter-finals.   Portsmouth's Rick Marston took both the Yorkshire wickets.