li Williams struck a second consecutive half-century off the Bashley (Rydal) attack as Hampshire's inexperienced Academy side, containing only two players with meaningful ECB Southern Premier Division experience, cruised to a six-wicket on the Nursery Ground. 
Williams's 61 was his fourth SPL fifty (the first two were for Sparsholt in 2022 before his 51 at the BCG last July) enabled the Academy to chase down Bashley's 181 all out with plenty of time to spare.
Earlier, Bashley made a positive start through Ben Walker (34) and Saifullah Achakzai before Jack Stearman (56) anchored the innings, striking nine boundaries during an assured knock. He shared important partnerships with Walker and Patrick Lewis (28).
Odiham & Greywell raised Dylan Kettle (3-17) and Guernsey's Charlie Forshaw (3-48) shared the Academy bowling spoils.
Williams and left-hander Veer Patel (25) provided the Academy with a sound start before South African Jayden Gengan broke through.
KES prospect Adam Bourne (26), ironically a Bashley junior, added useful runs before Hartley Wintney youngster Jensen Mogridge hit an unbeaten 32 to complete the Academy victory.
Charlie Freeston, Hampshire's Head of Player Development, reflected: "​It was an excellent win. The boys did very well with the ball, in particular, and then a great performance to get over the line with the bat Ollie Williams, played with lots of composure in an unfamiliar batting position.
"Alongside Oli with some good performances from some very inexperienced young players in that batting line-up, showing maturity beyond their experience to get us over the line in a very good win.
"With the ball the Academy have a young exciting seam attack with two superb spinners both doing a great job in the game so far this season. The seam attack has some genuine pace, some real skill and bowlers in it that I believe will go far in the game. 
"Due to the hard work done behind the scenes and over many years we have an abundance of Young Sears that we can call upon to come in and rotate and expose at Premier League level throughout this season.
"We are looking forward to watching all of this group develop over the next few seasons and push for higher honours down the line."

Burridge suffered a remarkable collapse against Alton, who ran out five-wicket winners at Botley Road.
After reaching 37-2, they lost six wickets for just three runs. From the depths of 40-8, Ben White (38) helped Burridge eventually reaching 110.
White put on 20 for the ninth wicket with sibling Sullivan White and 60 for the 10th with last man Joseph Stephens (10 not out).
New ball pair Bash Walters (3-25) and Tom Andrews (3-30) were the main wicket-takers, with Nos 4-8 inclusive mustering just five runs – Sachin Suresh (4), Azimunnoor Chowdhury (0), Ephraim Royle (0), Inayat Ullah (0) and Dan Stancliffe (1).
Alton lost five wickets before getting home in the 29th over, opener Abhay Gonella (46) top scoring.

​A comprehensive beating of Burbage & Easton Royal in the ECB national club championship win went some way to cushion the disappointment St Cross Symondians experienced in losing their opening Southern Premier League title defence against promoted Sarisbury Athletic. 
They were expected to be too strong for last season's Division 1 champions - but it didn't turn out that way as Sarisbury successfully chased a formidable 286-6 run target to win by five wickets with five overs to spare.
With support from Jack Bransgrove (38) and Harry Trussler (32), Mo Abbas (63) and Gareth Schreuder (55) guided St Cross to 224 before Michael Haworth swatted 32 off 15 balls, seven of which found the boundary rope.
When they reduced Sarisbury to 73-3, St Cross were confident of winning - but then Nathan Feltham and Ricky Rawlins produced one of the more remarkable batting partnerships of recent seasons to turn the match on its head.
With Feltham scoring 93 and Rawlins 89, the pair added 183 - nine sixes and 19 fours being hit before Charlie Gwynn's left-arm spin accounted for the former Paultons hard hitter.  Rawlins fell six runs later at 260-5, but the breakthroughs came too little too late.
Sam Cooper, who hit four successive big scores for Sussex Premier League side St James's Montefiore last July, and Josh Williams completed the run chase.
Elated Sarisbury Athletic skipper Rob Franklin lavished praise saying: "Nathan and Ricky were outstanding - a mix of brutal hitting and patience - using their experience.
"Earlier, I thought our bowling showed great control and discipline, we didn’t quite execute at the end of the innings but we held the scoring rate for close to 40 overs to a level we were comfortable with.
"The St Cross attack was pretty potent - and really tested the boys which kept everyone nervous to the conclusion - it was great to see Josh and latterly Sam Cooper get us over the line."
St Cross Symondians, who host Lymington at the Green Jackets on Saturday (1100), bounced back with a crushing 181-run win over an under strength Burbage & Easton Royal, who arrived in Winchester without seven of the players who chased down 252 to beat Bedminster in the West of England Premier League the previous day. 
St Cross were always headed for a size total, though Dom Kelly (30) and Gwynn (31) missed out on a re-tea run fest, which saw Schreuder (101) and Ed Ellis (52) plunder 111 runs off the last 11 overs to put 301-7 on the board.
Aussie left-armer Max Keogh (3-8) and recent recruit Byron Langley (3-18) reduced Burbage to 24-6.  They were dismissed for 120. 
St Cross will host WEPL powermen Potterne in round two.

Can the person who kindly emailed action photographs from St Helen's, Southsea on Saturday, make contact : 07899 711116 ?

​Tom Cheater scored his second century inside a week as South Wilts made a winning start to their ECB Southern Premier League programme with an 81-run victory over Portsmouth at St Helen's, Southsea.
Already in nick after making an unbeaten 78 in the rain abandoned curtain raiser against the Hampshire Academy, Cheater scored a maiden National Counties hundred for Wiltshire v Devon last Sunday.
His 101 off the Portsmouth attack was his first treble figure score for South Wilts and successfully underpinned a winning total of 265.
Hitting two sixes and ten fours, Cheater shared a 98-run partnership with stand-in captain James Degg (53) before the emerging Archie Fairfax-Ross (41) help push the total on to 265.
Archie Pascoe (20) and Tom Grant added quick runs in the closing overs.
On paper, Portsmouth have assembled a strong top order, but as with Bangladesh international Mo Ashraful last season, they will be reliant on their overseas player to score the bulk of their runs. 
True enough as Nazim Siddiqui smacked a lively 64 but whilst six other batsmen got into double figures, only teen Ray Reynolds (23) and Joe Kooner-Evans (22) made more than 20.
Fairfax-Ross, Grant and Pascoe all took three wickets for South Wilts, who visit Alton on Saturday, 11am.

Indian cricketer Saran Teja struck an amazing undefeated treble century as Breamore Dravidian set a staggering new Hampshire Cricket League scoring record of 618 for four to beat Division 4 rivals Great Durnford by 512 runs.
The 28-year old strength and conditioning coach hit 363 not out off 140 balls – an innings which included 32 fours and 31 sixes, 314 of his runs coming in boundaries, with plenty of lofted drives over cover. 
He arrived at the crease after Breamore had lost two wickets with their score 38 and, initially, shared a 90-run stand with opener Abhi Jayan (49).
But it was Teja’s fourth wicket partnership with Sunil Raj that sent the scoring rate into over-drive, the pair adding 362, Raj making 140, his first hundred since 2023.
Fours and sixes flew all around Great Durnford’s compact little ground, which nestles in the Avon Valley, north-west of Salisbury – three Great Durnford bowlers conceding more than 100 runs.
The pair were particularly severe on James March, whose five overs cost 118 runs, and Ryan Kelly, whose seven overs went for 135 – but he did have the consolation of taking two wickets !
Exhausted after chasing leather for almost three hours, Great Durnford were bowled out for 106 in 21 overs, Pradeep Moka taking 5-25.
Breamore’s 618-4 is 100 runs more than the previous highest HCL total of 518-2 made by Ryde Cavaliers against Portchester in June 2016, the late Tommy Barton scoring 331 not out.
Unsurprisingly, Teja played school and provincial state cricket in his native India before moving to the UK to study at the St Mary’s university in Twickenham.  
“I currently work in Wimbledon and now adays play cricket for fun. I drive down to play for Breamore Dravidians as the are my brother’s team,” he explained. 
“I only had one thing in my mind when I went into bat – to see our innings through to the last ball and test my fitness in the process. I ended up with an unexpected big score !”
Breamore joined the Hampshire League in 2023 and already have two divisional championships to their name.  They are sponsored by Bayleaf Kitchen and Willow22.

Bournemouth's South African import Ben Van Der Merwe, from the Western Province club in Cape Town, flings himself to his right to pull off a spectacular catch - one of four dismissals in the 263-run victory over Lymington.   Picture James Robinson.

ECB SOUTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE

ROUND 2 – 9 MAY 2026

ECB PREMIER DIVISION

Bashley (Rydal) 181 (Stearman 56, Walker 34, Lewis 28, Kettle 3-17, Forshaw 3-46) Hampshire Academy 183-4 (O Williams 61, Mogridge 32*, Bourne 26, Patel 25). Hampshire Academy won by six wickets.

Burridge 110 (White 38, Walters 3-25, Andrews 3-30) Alton 111-5 (Gonella 46). Alton by five wickets.

Bournemouth 334-6 (Rogers 97, Jhala 76, Van Der Merwe 44, Van Gool 34, Howell 3-67) Lymington 71 (Brehaut 4-31, Rushforth 3-23). Bournemouth won by 263 runs.

South Wilts 265 (Cheater 101, Degg 53, Fairfax-Ross 41, Joy 3-22) Portsmouth 184 (Siddiq 64, Reynolds 23, Kooner-Evans 22, Fairfax-Ross 3-27, Grant 3-33, Pascoe 3-52). South Wilts won by 81 runs. 

St Cross Symondians 286-6 (Abbas 63, Schreuder 55, Bransgrove 38, Trussler 32, Haworth 32*, Clark 3-52) Sarisbury Athletic 289-5 (Feltham 93, Rawlins 89). Sarisbury Athletic won by five wickets.

DIVISION 1

Calmore Sports 108 (Williams 27, Saranth 4-15, B Neal 3-26) Basingstoke & North Hants 98 (Tipping 23*, Nurse 23, A Neal 21, Allaway 7-34).  Calmore Sports won by ten runs.

Hambledon 65 (Trodd 4-27) Old Tauntonians & Romsey 66-1 (Trodd 24, Davidson-Soler 20*). Old Tauntonians & Romsey won by nine wickets.
   
Havant 153 (Perkins 42, McLennon 36, Gibson 3-12, Reed 3-17) Fair Oak 155-5 (Gibson 72*, Clark 25*). Fair Oak won by five wickets.

Rowledge 302-3 (Redfern 138, Sebborn 54*, Le Roux 34) Ventnor 240-9 (Cox 49, Woodhouse 39., Thimodya 37, Young 3-27). Rowledge won by 62 runs.
 
Totton & Eling 263-9 (E Taylor 71, May 69, Mugochi 28, Campbell 3-35, Peters 3-53) Langley Manor 126 (Gill 32, Doubell 29, Budd 26, L Taylor 4-14, Mugochi 3-30).  Totton & Eling won by 137 runs.

DIVISION 2

Andover 217 (Knight 79, Smith 34, Whitfield 4-20) Waterlooville 218-3 (Birch 71*, Shephard 78, Whitfield 37). Waterlooville won by seven wickets.

Hook & Newnham Basics 226-8 (Buckingham 68, Brown 27, Balcombe 23, Bragginton 4-40) Parley 227-5 (Collins 91*, Bragginton 32*). Parley won by five wickets.

New Milton 245-9 (Bartlett 58, Denham 54*, Shrubsole 44, H Amis 4-49) Liphook & Ripsley 198 (Brixton 46, Nicklin 31, Spooner 31, Moran 4-30). New Milton won by 47 runs.

Portsmouth & Southsea 266-9 (Davies 71, Field 57, Wheeler 33, Singh 4-43) Fawley 168 (B Parratt 31, B Streather 33, Richards 4-29). Portsmouth & Southsea won by 98 runs.

Sparsholt 117 (Fuller 41*, Grasham 4-21, Bernard 3-25) Sway 120-5 (Bernard 49*, Steadman 39*, Willcox 4-29). Sway won by five wickets.

DIVISION 3

Fareham & Crofton 216-9 (Richards 51, Reader 45, Eddie 35, Rosier 3-30) Hursley Park 217-4 (Sharma 55, Spink 52, Rosier 45). Hursley Park won by six wickets.

Ferndown Wayfarers 113 (Pittway 47, Appavoo 3-18) Alton II 114-2 (Heffernan 53, Bridger 35). Alton II won by eight wickets.

Hook & Newnham Basics II 142 (Hall 57, M Teale 4-12) Hartley Wintney 143-4 (Gunson 65, Williams 41). Hartley Wintney won by six wickets.

Odiham & Greywell 250 (Doran 59, Ikin 34, Kettle 28, Turner 25, Mishra 4-60, Kajendran 3-31) Trojans 177 (Srimam 37, Rajan 37, Agha 33, McGaughran 4-54, Hill 3-32). Odiham & Greywell won by 87 runs.

St Cross Symondians II 250 (Kendall 76, Nicholls 54, Hawkesworth 35, Jewell 3-49) Sarisbury Athletic II 126 (Sharma 40, Woolvine 3-20, Hawkesworth 3-37).   St Cross Symondians II won by 124 runs.

The Hampshire Academy will field a junior international new ball attack in today's round 2 ECB Southern Premier Division match against Bashley (Rydal) on the Utilita Bowl nursery ground, 11am.
Charlie Forshaw is a regular for Guernsey and has taken over 40 wickets for the Channel Islands side in T20 cricket, while Peter Nedeljkovic has been playing for Serbia.  The pair did well in midweek, taking nine wickets between them in Hampshire seconds win over Sussex.
South African Jayden Gengan debuts for Bashley.  He has played T20 cricket for South Africa and in the provincial arena for KZ Natal. 
Hampshire Academy: Veer Patel, Ollie Williams, Sam Ashman, Adam Bourne, Jenson Mogridge, Teddy Golding, Dylan Kettle, Abdullah Iqbal, Tom Wellings, Charlie Forshaw, Barney Overton.
Bashley (Rydal): Walker, Achakzai, Stearman, Porter, Lewis, Wilson, Pardey, Basey, Prichard, Gengan, Cameron.
Arguably the top Premier Division match features Lymington against Bournemouth at the LSG, where Johan Dhariwal returns for he hosts.
Lymington: G Berg, R Hemmings, T Crabb, D Hand, R Scott, J Dhariwal, C Wilson, J Royan, G Layman, T Howell, A Abbas.
Bournemouth: Ben Van der Merwe, Alfie Ingram, R Jhala, James Van Gough, Ben Rogers, Tom Robinson, Connor Smith, Cole Rushforth, Ollie Breckon, James Brehaut Josiah Edy. 
St Cross Symondians face a busy weekend, starting at Sarisbury Athletic today and continuing against EPL Premier Division side Burbage & Easton Royal at the Green Jackets on Sunday, 1pm. 
Felix Organ, on 12th man duties for Hampshire, isn't expected to play at Allotment Road, but could return for the ECB Cup tie.
Sarisbury Athletic: Baker, Clark, Cooper Feltham, Franklin, Hill, Rawlins, Williams, Wright, Nlabangana. 
St Cross Symondians: Jack Bransgrove, Mo Abbas, Harry Trussler, Charlie Gywnn, Gaz Schreuder, Ed Ellis, Mike Haworth, Nav Dubey, Oli Cordery, Matt Haworth, Max Keogh.
Alton go to Burridge, with Dan Corbett back, probably behind the stumps.
Alton: Gonella, Ruffell, Boulton, Myers, Corbett, Egleston, van der Linde, Andrews, Walters, Sumner, Bridger.
When they met at St Helen's last summer, South Wilts piled up 417, the match itself producing a record 720 runs when Portsmouth responded with 303-5.
The track at Southsea seafront is every bit as good, so expect a tough bowling day.
Ben Draper is absent for South Wilts, who have opener Harry Broderick back from a carpentry convention.
Portsmouth: Joy, Duggan, Siddique, Gadd, Metzger, Reynolds, Wimble, Zaidi, F Gadd, Kooner-Evans, Rao.   
South Wilts: Degg, Broderick, Chippendale, Cheater, Falconer, Fairfax, Francis, Williams, Grant, Pascoe, Jack.

Alarm clocks set, Rowledge were up at sunrise ahead of the Premier League's longest trip - an away day to Ventnor, where Sri Lankan Dineth Thimodya returns after a finger injury.  But there's no Danny Briggs to concern the evergreen David Lloyd.
Rowledge: Ben Wish, David Lloyd, Will Ryman, Olly Ryman, Zac Le Roux, Jonty Sebborn, Archie Redfern, Sam Marshall, Oscar Young, Ryan Littlewood, Ollie Baker.
Fair Oak may have Fletcha Middleton in their side at Havant, where he struck a super century last season.  Dan Wheble is back.
Oaks: H.Reed, B.Smith, S.Reed, C.Gibson, D.Wheble, T.Clark, M.White, R.Oxley, L.Goodyear, S.Yegnasubramanian, A Mash, F Middleton.
It's a busy weekend for Hambledon, who visit OTs & Romsey before hosting Cadnam in the Village Cup.  
Hambledon: Charlie Boyd, Chris Pratt, Justin Behrens, Henry Glanfield, Spencer Leclercq (c) Greg Chaplin, Ollie Bembridge, Toby Restell, Mark Butcher, James Restell, Olly Whittle.

Ferndown Wayfarers had to wait a while before their Dolmans Farm ground was accepted by the Southern Premier League but they got of the mark at the first attempt with an eight wicket win over St Cross Symondians II, whose 237-9 was trimmed to a target of 147 off 20 overs.
Hampshire 50s ace Richard Wilson (95*) and Jason Laney (86) top scored for St Cross, but James Stephenson's unbeaten 78 alongside a breezy 40 from Alex Sansom got Ferndown home with three overs to spare.
Relegated from SPL2 last season alongside St Cross, Hartley Wintney had 69 runs on the board in quick time against visiting Fareham & Crofton with Ben Williams (44) and Mo Chowdhury (32) to the fore.
Kyran Munt (26) and Jamie Teale (24) apart, Hartley collapsed to 11 all out, Dan Reader taking 4-25.
Rain left Fareham with a straightforward 105 to win off 31 overs, Jez Bulled's 31 not out easing the side home to celebrate his captaincy debut with a victory.   
Odiham & Greywell began the season with a 20-point deficit from 2025, but effectively wiped of that deduction with a five-wicket win over Hursley Park, whose 244-9 included a half-century for Aussie Sergio Rosier (54), who plays for Maryborough Victoria Country Districts back home.
But he was upstaged by Kiwi spin all-rounder Brayden Hill, who hit an unbeaten 72 to guide Odiham past a reduced target of 195 off 29 overs.
A left-hand bat and off-spin bowler, Hill hails from Napier in New Zealand, having spent previous summers with Horton Heath in the Northants Premier League. 
The other two SPL3 games Trojans 210 (Mishra 60) at Alton and Sarisbury Athletic 176-4 (Jack Lovett 54)  v Hook & Newnham Basics II were abandoned.

​Mid-afternoon rain washed out all but Hook & Newnham Basics' thumping Southern Premier Division 1 win over New Milton, leaving Parley and Sparsholt to curse the elements.
They had both batted themselves into strong positions, Parley eyeing a 300-plus total at Portsmouth & Southsea and Sparsholt, with 273-6 on the board against Liphook & Ripsley and four overs unused.
Keiron Laird [left], with an unbeaten 85, and the dangerous Tom Saunders were in six-hitting mode when rain spoiled the Parley fun. Poor Henry Ferrett was hit clean out of the ground three times as Parley put 237-4 on the board with ten overs still to bowl.
Perhaps the highspot of the afternoon (save a quite splendid tea) came when Parley scorer Ady Savage leapt out his chair to take a stunning catch, just outside of the boundary rope, much to the admiration of his son Spencer, seated a matter if yards away.  
Earlier, Sam Collins (47) and fit again Tom Jacques (30) made runs for last season's Division 3 winners.  
Promoted Sparsholt were in a strong position at Liphook, where skipper Tom Berzins (45) led from the front with a composed 45, while Gurney (29) kept the scoreboard moving. The middle order then seized control as 15-year-old McEwan, pictured, struck an impressive 46, including three sixes, supported by wicketkeeper Will Berrill, who remained unbeaten on 41.
Late contributions from Callum Doran ensured Sparsholt closed on an imposing 273 for 6 from 46.1 overs. However, with no play possible.
Matt Hooper (55) and Harri Williams (47) top scored in Andover's 202-9 against Fawley, while Sway had reached 142-7 (Matt Young 43) when play was abandoned at Waterlooville. 

Danny Briggs marked his long time Steephill comeback with an impeccable bowl of spin bowling, conceding just ten runs in his ten-over stint against visiting Southern Premier Division 1 rivals Calmore Sports.
In his first Ventnor appearance since August 2008, Briggs took one wicket and hit 38 in a fluent stand of 80 with Danny Cox as Ventnor cruised past Calmore's rain trimmed target of 143 to win by four wickets.
The former England left-armer, who began his cricketing journey at Steephill, is this season playing for Sussex in a white ball and player‑coach role, having re-joined them from Warwickshire on a three‑year deal, which started at the end of the 2025 season.
Seamer George Watts (3-16) did the early damage as Calmore creaked at 10-4 before Ben Johns (27) helped the score on to 66-8.
Briggs maintained a vice-like grip as Aussie Evan Allaway (41) and Joe Butcher (37) doubled the final score to 143.  
A rain delay reduced Ventnor’s chase to 127 from 37 overs — when Briggs again took centre stage.
In a fluent stand of 80 with Cox, who top-scored with 57, Briggs struck 38 before Alex Stogdon steered the hosts to a four-wicket victory.

Dave Streather smashed 93 off 64 balls to put Hampshire Seniors firmly in the driving seat against 2024 National Sixties champions Surrey, whom they beat by 55 runs at Sparsholt.
Gerry Northwood (59) and Chris Tollerfield (52) had already scored fifties before 
Streather [left] arrived at the crease to hit five sixes and five fours in an hour long knock.
Beaten by Kent their opening group match, Hampshire successfully defended 249-4 with Paul Garlick and Dave Simpson sharing six wickets as Surrey were dismissed for 194.
Tim Joy (78), Dave Elliott (40) and John Adams (38) led Hampshire IIs to 262-8 and an emphatic 128-run win over Wiltshire at St Helen's, Southsea.

Former player Nick Doubell was the driving force as Fair Oak slithered to defeat in the first match in their Southern Premier Division 1 programme, at the hands of newly promoted Langley Manor, at a dark and dismal Lapstone Park.
Fair Oak skipper Harry Reed played an important role in the early part of the match, compiling a patient 50 as Oaks stuttered to 113-5.  But Doubell [left] took three wickets for 28, while Jack Campbell also caught the eye with 2-36. Matt White and Tom Clark then batted well, but were interrupted by a lengthy stoppage for rain that was to play a major part in deciding the match.
When they resumed, Oaks needed to press the accelerator.  Clark made 35, White 23, and Lewis Goodyear chipped in with a useful 12 at the end as Fair Oak reached a decent total of 201-9 from their 50-over allocation.
Duckworth-Lewis deliberations during the interval produced a revised target of 154 for the Manor to chase in 28 overs.  The Fair Oak opening attack of Ben Smith and Andy Mash displayed pace and hostility, but although Mash bowled Conor Browne for 11, sensible batting from Jack Budd (41) and South Australian left-hander Tejas Gill (36) kept Langley in touch with the required rate. At 78-1 the contest was tilting in their favour.
Doubell, who was joined by Campbell at 99-3, then took control.  He smote three enormous sixes off of consecutive balls to bring his side victory at 155-3 in the 25th over, finishing 33 not out from just 19 balls.  Campbell’s contribution was an unbeaten 24. 

A half-century by Chris Pratt sealed a comfortable eight-wicket win for Hambledon, who chased a rain trimmed 109-run target after Rowledge had suffered an all too familiar batting collapse at School Road.  
A half-century by New Zealander Archie Redfern (56) guided Rowledge to 92-2 but the introduction of spin into the Hambledon attack saw the electronic scoreboard light up a less promising 118-6, with South African Justin Behrens (3-44), former Hayling Island captain Greg Chaplin (2-25) and teen Elliott Lewis (2-16) creating inroads.  
Bertie Chilcott (24) did his best to hold the Rowledge innings together, but the hosts subsided to 162 all out.  
With rain imminent, Hambledon put bat to ball and scored 47 run in eight overs before heavy rain drove the players from the field to leave a reduced target when play recommenced two hours later.
Pratt, with four sixes in his 56, and Charlie Boyd (28) took their opening stand on to 73 before Rowledge broke through. Behrens made 22* to complete the victory with seven overs to spare.

Basingstoke & North Hants' season could hardy have begun on a more disappointing start with warm-up defeats by Hook & Newnham Basics and Alton preceding an eight-wicket beating from Southern Premier Division 1 rivals Totton & Eling at Southern Gardens.
Ash Neal, making a welcome return after missing last season with a knee injury, batted almost the entire Basingstoke innings - his valiant 55 witnessing nine different partners and ending on the last ball of Stoke's 151 all out. 
His only support came from Matt Donaldson (28), who arrived at the  cease with Basingstoke tottering at 53-5, Matt Simms (3-32) having made inroads. 
Rain left Totton requiring a straightforward 103 to win of 23 overs.
Former Sparsholt run gun Joe Merlino was run out for a second ball duck but Ethan Taylor took things into his own hands, belting 56 off 26 balls, including four sixes and seen boundaries.  Totton won inside 11 overs. 

Sam Lockwood blasted a 79-ball century before debut making teenage Aussie Ellis McCarthy routed New Milton with a five-wicket haul to send Hook & Newnham Basics on the way to a thumping 91-run victory at the KGV.
It was the perfect start to the competitive season after Hook's unexpected relegation to the third tier of Southern Premier League cricket.
A positive wind of change has blown through the KGV this winter, with Charlie Neville taking over the captain's armband from Josh Buckingham, who will continue to assume a high position in the batting order and keep wicket.
Neville, scored over 500 runs last season alongside taking 14 wickets, has wintered in Perth. Fit again opener Sam Lockwood is his vice-captain, having  ruptured an Achilles at Waterlooville last August.
Ironically, Hook suffered two early blows after being put into bat - Ed Bartlett, the New Milton skipper, whipping out Neville and Jaden Hall.
But by then Lockwood was on his way, peppering the KGV boundary during a century partnership with Rupes Armstrong which pointed Hook to a powerful 324-9.
Lockwood cleared the boundary rope four times alongside his 14 fours, while Armstrong hit two sixes and 12 fours in his 83.
Josh Buckingham clouted a quick fire 40 and, with support coming from Will Gardner (22) and Josh Balcombe (23), Hook powered to 324-9.
Rain intervention cut New Milton's target to 200 off 24 overs - a mission impossible after McCarthy's new ball spell left the Green & Golds 59-6, the Northern Districts all-rounder from Brisbane taking five wickets in a total of 59-6. 
He finished with 5-23 before Lee Beck (35) eased New Milton's final score to 108, a deficit of 92.  

Encouraging statistic : the 'crease' cricket website attracted in excess of  3,500 page views over the three-day May bank holiday weekend. 

All five ECB Southern Premier Division matches began at the earlier time of 11 o’clock, but with the forecast rain sweeping across the region, the entire programme was washed out by mid-afternoon.
By that time, promoted Sarisbury Athletic had been bowled out for 133 at Bournemouth – debut making Josiah Edy taking 4-23 – and champions St Cross Symondians dismissed by Burridge for 223 (Charlie Gwynn 57), with new skipper Dan Stancliffe returning 5-62.
Portsmouth openers Carlin Joy (67) and Ben Duggan (63) had 141 runs on the board before Alton broke through. They went on to post 316-7 before taking an early Brewers wicket.
Gareth Berg scored his first century since making a career best 130 for Middlesex v Leicestershire in 2011 as Lymington made 236-8 in the New Forest derby at Bashley (Rydal).
Premier Division scores -
Lymington 236-8 (Berg 130, Royan 47, Prichard 3-29, Cameron 3-58) v Bashley (Rydal). Match abandoned, no result.
Portsmouth 316-7 (Joy 67, Duggan 63, Siddiqui 46, Reynolds 44*, Wimble 36, Egleston 3-32) Alton 1-1.  Match abandoned, no result.
Sarisbury Athletic 133 (Baker 39, Edy 4-23) v Bournemouth. Match abandoned, no result.
South Wilts 240-8 (Cheater 78*, Falconer 39, Degg 35, Wellings 3-18, Iqbal 3-41) Hampshire Academy 6-0. Match abandoned, no result.
St Cross Symondians 223 (Gwynn 57, Trussler 34, Langley 27*, Stancliffe 5-62) Burridge 47-1. Match abandoned, no result.

South Wilts cricketer Tom Cheater celebrated one of the best weekends of his fledgling career, hitting an unbeaten 78 in the abandoned ECB Southern Premier League match against the Hampshire Academy before notching his maiden Wiltshire century in the National Counties Trophy.
The Totton-based Oxford Brookes University student struck 14 fours and four sixes in his 140-ball 122 and shared an opening partnership of 111 with Bemerton raised Jack Mynott (52) as Wiltshire posted 252 and went on to beat Devon by 24 runs at Warminster.
Cheater's innings for South Wilts was perfect timing as his side threatened to fritter away the promising start James Degg (35) and Matt Falconer (39) had given them.
A controlled ten-over spin spell by Henley prospect Tom Wellings (3-18) reduced South Wilts from 101-1 to 149-5, leaving Cheater (with four sixes and four fours) and Tom Grant (20) to pick up the pieces.  They added 45 for eight wicket after Abdullah Iqbal (3-41) had created further inroads.
South Wilts finished with 240-8 and bowled only ten balls at the Academy (6-0) before rain drove the players from the field.   

Hampshire Pathway U18s suffered a double defeat by Middlesex YCs in the ECB T20 Cup at May's Bounty, losing the respective matches by five runs and six wickets.
Scores: 
Middlesex 179-7 (Tahir 80) Hampshire 174-6 (Freddie Gillett 78, Mayank Gudimetia 34, Oli Webster 31).
Hampshire 146-8 (Adam Bourne 42) Middlesex 143-4. 

Hampshire Seniors' put their pre-season fitness training to the test with inter-county matches against Surrey, Somerset and Wiltshire this week.
The 60s host formidable Surrey at Sparsholt on Tuesday (noon), with the 50s travelling to Chard to face Somerset on Wednesday, and the 70s visiting Avebury to play Wiltshire on Thursday.

Bashley (Rydal) and Lymington cricketers observed one minute's silence in memory of Stuart MacTavish  the start of their curtailed ECB Southern Premier League match at the BCG.  
​Stuart, who died in December, was extremely well known and liked in New Forest sporting circles having played cricket and rugby for New Milton, not to mention his prowess at the oche. He had a popular member of the South Coast Panel of Umpires for over 25 years. 

Sarisbury Athletic’s return to the ECB Southern Premier top flight didn’t go according to plan.  
They were dismissed for 133 at Bournemouth, losing four wickets for no runs in the space of 16 balls at one stage. Rain then intervened before the hosts had started their reply.
Put in at Chapel Gate, Sarisbury lost young Zimbabwean overseas signing Nathaniel Hlabangama for five, after he had been dismissed without scoring in both of his previous friendly appearances.
Another new signing, fellow opener Joe Baker [late of Totton & Eling] top scored with 29 before he was out to the first ball of the 21st over.
That made the score 90-4 and soon it was 90-7, with Sam Cooper and Jordan Wright both dismissed for ducks and Josh Williams for four.
Premier Division debutant Josiah Edy [left] was the main destroyer, taking three of those four wickets and ending with 4-23.

Portsmouth’s openers both scored half-centuries before rain had the final say on the opening day of the new Southern Premier League cricket season.   Put in at St Helens by Alton skipper Scott Myers, the hosts posted 316-5 off their 50 overs in the top flight curtain-raiser.
Alton, last season’s runners-up to champions St Cross Symondians, were 1-1 when their reply was ended after just eight balls.
Home openers Carlin Joy and Ben Duggan put on 141 before the former was dismissed off the final ball of the 26th over.  Having hit 13 boundaries in an 85-ball innings, Joy fell for 67 when he was caught by Dan Sumner off the bowling of Fred Egleston.  Duggan had hit just four fours on his way to 63 when he was also dismissed by past Winchester College captain Egleston.
That was the catalyst for Portsmouth to lose three wickets in as many balls.  It was a hat-trick of sorts for spinner Egleston, who trapped skipper Harry Gadd leg before for a golden duck.
That brought former Basingstoke & North Hants cricketer George Metzger to the crease, who was immediately run out by Myers off his first delivery.  Metzger has scored only 60 runs in five knocks since joining Portsmouth.
Watching helpless at the other end was Nazim Siddiqui, Portsmouth’s overseas replacement for ex-Bangladesh Test skipper Mohammed Ashraful.
Having made a big impact already with an unbeaten ECB Club Championship century against Windsor, the Indian hit four fours and two sixes in a breezy 36-ball knock. He was just another boundary away from a half-century when Egleston (3-32) rearranged his stumps.
A third Portsmouth league debutant, Ray Reynolds (a recent ECB indoor sixes winner at Lord's with Waterlooville), hit 44 in sharing a 72-run stand for the sixth wicket with Dan Wimble (36).
There was also some success for Siraj Ali Zaidi, making his 1st XI league debut after impressing last year in the 2nds, when Alton replied.
He struck with only his second ball, having Abhay Gonella caught by Rakshith Rao, after Joe Kooner-Evans had opened the bowling.  Due to rain, Zaidi didn’t get the chance to bowl a third delivery.

Alton
Standing (from left): Ethan van der Linde, Freddie Egleston, Scott Myers, Wilf Bridger, Tom South, Bash Walters.  Front: Olly Boulton, Abhay Gonella, Sam Ruffell, Michael Heffernan, Dan Sumner.