We are saddened to report that long serving New Forest CCA and Woodgreen CC stalwart Ray Mortimer passed away this week.  His enormous service to cricket in the Forest will be recognised in an upcoming tribute.

​Parley have made a positive start to their Hampshire League title defence – a staggering 630 days after clinching the Division 1 championship back in August 2019 !
Beating Longparish by 101 runs was the first time Parley had taken the field in a HCL match for almost 21 months, their opening game with promoted Winton being washed out and Bedhampton’s withdrawal meaning they were without a fixture on May 15.
Alex Nippard (left)(60) celebrated his Parley return after a short spell with Bournemouth by top scoring in his side’s 215-6, having gone in after skipper Shane Green (39) and teenager Marcus Braggington (29) had put 55 on the board.  Roshan Embalagama fired a quick 39 to put Parley firmly in control.
Parish were rushed out for 114 (Scott Sturt 41), with Ollie Green taking 4-11.
Hampshire Cricket Board Physical Disability officer Hugh Bernard, who played a County    Championship match for Kent  in 2016 and took three Glamorgan wickets on Canterbury debut, blew away Compton & Chandlers Ford and ensured Sway made it three wins from three. 
In a fiery four over burst spell, the Folkestone raised former England Under-19 international (who played against Australia YCs with Hampshire trio Mason Crane, Brad Taylor and Joe Weatherley), took 5-6 as the visitors crumbled on a challenging Station Road strip that tested batsmen from both sides. 
Bowling in tandem with quick John Grasham (2-18), Bernard bowled and bounced out Compton’s lower order, carrying on good work from openers Jon Waller (2-22) and David Steadman (1-16), while Sway were excellent in the field, with Waller, Steadman, Oscar Marshall and ‘keeper Alex Hall snaffling catches. 
Earlier in the day Sway had battled hard to post 148 against a decent Compton attack. Having lost two wickets early Hall (24) and Dan Bailey (39) steadied the ship – Bailey hammering 19 off one over – before the pair perished in quick succession. 
There were cameos from Josh Bailey and Adam Clark – who both got 11 – while the hosts owed a lot to Steadman. His excellent a patient and hard fought 29 steadied the innings and helped Sway post a total that proved far out of Compton’s reach. 
Old Basing have made an encouraging start, beating Portsmouth II by 45 runs to record a second win.
They were on top once Jaiden Hall (59) and Ben Ungaretti (46) put on 97 for the first wicket and went on to post 209-7 (Darren Turner 32), with sixth and seventh placed bowlers Billy Eades (4-46) and Ethan Randall (3-56) picking up the wickets.  Asked to get 166 in 27 overs, Portsmouth crumbled from 50-0 to 120 all out.
They were the only three matches that survived a second consecutive storm battered weekend, which has left seven clubs – Alton, Andover, Bournemouth, Burridge, Fareham & Crofton, Hursley Park and promoted Winton – still waiting to play their first games.
Fed up with waiting, potential Bournemouth run gun Jonny Coombs nicked a game for the Chapel Gate club's sixth team and plundered a chancy 43 not out in his side's victory over Division 6 South West rivals Ringwood thirds. Look out Burridge IIs this Saturday !
Performance of the day in a once again seriously curtailed HCL programme was by Steep all-rounder Gregg Turner, who smashed ten sixes and ten fours in an unbeaten 137 at Westhill - and then took 4-25 as Shanklin & Godshill (159-9) fell 60 runs short of the visitors' 219-8.

This afternoon's scheduled ECB Royal London national club championship and Venous Village Cup programmes have been hit by the weather.
The ECB tie between Burridge and St Cross Symondians is off, while Havant's match with Weybridge has been re-scheduled for Spring Bank Holiday Monday, May 31, again at Havant Park.
South Wilts and Bashley (Rydal) are planning a 1300 hours 'beat the rain' T20 tie at Bemerton.
Both Hampshire county Village Cup semi-final ties have been postponed until next Sunday (May 30), with Sarisbury Athletic now hosting Calmore Sports, and Bramshaw going to Sparsholt. 

HAMPSHIRE LEAGUE DIVISION 1

Old Basing 209-7 (Hall 59, Ungaretti 46, Turner 32, Eades 4-46, Randell 3-56) Portsmouth 120 (target score 166 off 27 overs)(Mitchell 27). Old Basing won by 46 runs.

Parley 215-6 (Nippard 60, S Green 39, Embalagama 39, Brannington 29,Clarke 3-41) Longparish 114 (Sturt 41, O Green 4-11). Parley won by 101 runs.

Sway 148 (D Bailey 39, Steadman 29, Hall 25, Rathod 3-12, Lovell 3-35) Compton & Chandler’s Ford 64 (A Spearing 21, Bernard 5-6). Sway won by 84 runs.

DIVISION 2
​
Steep 219-8 (Turner 137*, Lambourne 4-47, Moore 3-23) Shanklin & Godshill 159-9 (Lucy 33, Egerton-Read 25, Turner 4-25) Steep won by 60 runs.

Sway have stolen a march on their rain ravaged Division 1 rivals by not only playing but also winning their opening two matches.
While seven of the 17 teams have yet to take the field, Sway have steamrollered Longparish and beaten Easton & Martyr Worthy by 107 runs.
Fifties from Alex Hall and David Steadman - aided by some brutal late order hitting - enabled Sway to set up what ultimately proved to be a commanding victory in Easton’s Cockets Mead mini-bowl.
However, there were a few jitters when Sway, having been put into bat, slipped to 72-4 at the halfway point. That was in spite of the visitors getting a terrific 55-run head start by Hall and fellow opener Tim Noble (26).
The game turned back in Sway's favour when Hall was joined by Steadman, who survived an early run out scare. The pair batted brilliantly, with Steadman circumspect at the start before crushing two maximums and Hall flailing one ball over extra cover for six in his 57.
When Hall departed Steadman carried on in his merry way to notch up his 50, laying the platform for an end of the innings run feast, with blows from Josh Bailey before Hugh Bernard smacked 22 off seven balls and Jon Grasham 13 off just four.
The reply began after a rain shower during the tea interval threatened to derail Sway's hopes, and left Easton needing a revised 195 off 34 overs. 
With the clouds darkening, Sway set to work among the hosts batting, opening pair Jon Waller and Dave Steadman making early inroads, and by the time good work by Tom Burton secured a run out to leave Easton 39-3 off 15 overs, the game was Sway's unless the rain came to Easton's rescue. 
The showers stayed away as Dan Bailey (3-26) ran through the hosts middle order, assisted by Grasham (2-12). Bernard (2-11) polished off the tail to leave EMW 88 all out (Joey Mitchell 29) and Sway two wins from two.
St Cross Symondians have also played twice – with mixed results, a narrow 12-run defeat at Old Basing being followed by a comprehensive seven-wicket win over a Lymington II side expected to be among the survival strugglers this term.
They took advantage of the micro-climate around Winchester – head groundsman Steve Oliphant doubtless sipping a satisfying pint late on for his hard work in getting the Green Jackets ground fit and being rewarded with two St Cross Symondians’ victories either side of the hedge.
Josh Merluk (3-13), Stephen Fryer (3-36) and Charlie Preston (2-26) cut through the Lymington batting to leave the New Forest visitors 139 all out (Ollie Elliott 34).
Ed Freeman removed Raj Naik for a duck but Kevin Neave and the promising Ben Foster soon reasserted Symondians’ grip, their century stand easing St Cross towards touching distance of victory.
The experienced Neave showed he’d lost none of his skills, hitting a six and 11 boundaries in a run-a-ball 69, enabling Foster, his apprentice, to enjoy a learning experience off the master from 22 yards distance.
The only other match to start was at Havant Park, where Hursley Park were purring nicely at 100-2 when the rains came. 
Experienced duo Paul Longland and Jody Brown set up OTs & Romsey seconds 46-run win at  Division 2 rivals IBM Hursley, the only game to finish in tier six
Longland carried his bat for an unbeaten 81 as OTR posted 220-6, while Rob Pfeiffer hit back with 89 in IBM’s 174 all out, Brown taking 4-23 and being involved in a run-out.
Two centuries were scored at Church Road, where Rowledge IIs chased down an abridged RAM total of 216 to win by six wickets off the last ball.  
Inayat Khan made 108 of RAM’S original 232-9 – unconfirmed rumours suggest he was spilled at an embryo stage by an unnamed Hampshire Seniors’ spinner – but Chris Yates (his namesake by any chance ?) made 106 for Rowledge, sharing a 150-plus stand with Max Martin (54).
In Division 4 South, Hambledon took a mere 14 balls to polish off the 48 runs they needed to get past Locks Heath’s rain cut 75-9 – old stagers Mark le Clerq (4-15) and Ian Turner (3-21) proving too good for the Ridge Meadow visitors.
With their planned SPL3 match against Hythe & Dibden washed out, Purbrook fielded four first teamers against Bishop’s Waltham seconds – Josh McCoy cashed in with 118, including 14 fours out of his side’s score of 193-6 made before the rains came.

Teenager Marcus Bragginton and Oli Green shared a century partnership as Parley successfully chased down Shrewton’s 150-7 to win by eight wickets and clinch a home draw against Goatacre in this Sunday’s (May 23) Voneus Village Cup county semi-final. 
Tom Mundy (40) top scored for the Shrews before Bragginton (55) and Tom Saunders (27) replied and gave Parley a sound base from which Green fired three sixes and five other boundaries in a lively 54 not out. 
Parley had previously beaten Beehive & Southwick by nine wickets, Tom Saunders hitting an unbeaten 101.
Redlynch & Hale comfortably polished off a rain reduced target to beat Witchampton by eight wickets and tee up a tough looking Dorset/Wiltshire visit to Burbage & Easton Royal.
George Hayes took 4-17 and Kevin Hopkins 2-7 as Witchampton were dismissed for 124. Rain reduced the Redlynch ask to 94, a score they passed inside 21 overs with the still promising Ian Tanner making 41 and Dave Webber 29 not out.
Emsworth ​got a walkover and host Ifield in the West Sussex group on Sunday.

Nathan Way and Sam Godfrey shared a century partnership as Cadnam rallied from a worrying 28-3 to post 210-7 before a Brad Jewer inspired bowling performance led to County 3 South rivals Langley Manor being dismissed for 65.
The batting pair have scored almost 13,000 Cadnam runs between them in their careers, Way (left) finishing with 85 not out and Godfrey (centre) 61, their stand being worth 108.
They handed the baton to Jewer after that, the 17-year old son of Cadnam legend Paul Jewer ripping through the Manor with a spell of 5-23 as the visitors were skittled for 65 in 17.4 overs.
Pictures by Roy Honeybone.

Havant seconds, Old Basing and Sway got off to winning starts on a day when five of the scheduled opening Division 1 fixtures were washed out.
With a healthy blend of youth and experience Havant trimmed promoted Compton & Chandler’s Ford by 32 runs, Old Basing got home by 12 runs against St Cross Symondians III, and Sway overwhelmed Longparish by nine wickets.
A second wicket stand of 93 between Charlie Whitfield (49) and Stu Ransley (23) eased Havant to 100-1, but led by Andy Gorty’s spell of 3-27 the hosts collapsed to 145-7 before Hampshire 50s aspirant Pete Hayward struck a breezy 28 off 17 balls to lift them to 193 all out.
Gorty, with eight fours in his 44, and Pranoy Rathod (40) took CCF to 141-5, but the tail fell away to 161 all out.
St Cross Symondians’ III play a weather reduced 32-over match and were beaten by 12 runs at promoted Old Basing, who successfully defended 170-9, Nick Willcock (60) top scoring and sharing a n important mid-innings stand with Joe Belcher (31).
OB have Ryan Murray back after spells with the Academy and South Wilts, but he didn’t manage a wicket as Guy Pearson-Gregory celebrated his St Cross debut with an unbeaten 55 as the Winchester visitors made 155-5 in reply.
A composed half century from skipper Tim Noble (pictured) saw Sway home and off to a terrific start in their – the victory over Longparish set up by a good all-round bowling display. 
The long-term union of David Steadman (4-12) and Jonathan Waller (1-18) had Longparish in all sorts of bother early on and 21-4 after 15 overs.  
Waller had the ball seaming around and Alex Hall took a brilliant catch stood up while Steadman was awesome – his wickets aided by two safe catches by Tom Burton as well as former Kent cricketer Hugh Bernard and Hall. 
Change bowlers Jon Grasham (2-27) and Bernard (2-25) injected a lot of pace into the attack and broke through some stubborn resistance from the visitors.  
Knowing they had a full 40 overs to get their total and against a sharp and pacey Longparish attack, openers Noble and Hall opted to be circumspect with the opening partnership worth 41. 
Oscar Marshall entered the fray and together with Noble they nullified the visitors’ threat and eased home in the 26th over. Noble hit five boundaries and crushed a huge six on his way to an unbeaten 56, while Marshall finished on 20. 
Parley are chasing a third successive County 1 title – accreditation issues continue to dog their bid for Southern Premier League status – and have Alex Nippard back after a spell with Bashley (Rydal) and Shane Green wearing the captain’s armband.
Despite their midweek London based Ollie Green and Jack Rowett are hoping to feature, while Tom Saunders, now at university in Cardiff, will add some firepower following the return to his youth roots from Bashley. He made a recent century in the Village Cup.
Evergreen wicketkeeper/batsman Roshan Embalagama is looking in good form, while Shane Green will also give youth their opportunity with at least three Under 17's set for regular appearances. 
This column will discuss the prospects of the other clubs once the season gets underway properly.

Twyford could be flying high in the Hampshire Cricket League this season if trainee pilot Cameron Park gets airborne with his trusty bat !
He was up, up and away in his first knock for the village club’s second team, cruising to an altitude of 110 not out in a May Day friendly with Burridge thirds.
Then, in his Division 6 Central debut, Park jetted to 153 not out against the Southampton Travellers II attack, helping Twyford win by 27 runs. 
Park’s individual score came out of a Twford total of 176-8 – his team-mates running into turbulence and mustering only 17 runs between them, with six others in extras.  No one else got double figures.
It was almost by accident that Park landed on the Twyford runway, as the club’s president John Paine explains.
“Cam has been playing for Bedworth in the Warwickshire League.  He’s in the area training to be a pilot, with his girlfriend at Southampton university.
“She asked to play with our W10 ladies and he came along and joined in one of our men’s net sessions when we asked him if he wanted to play, which he did – and to great effect !”
The sky could be the limit for Twyford this summer, if Cameron Park continues to fly high …

SWAY were edged out of a closely fought game in the second round of the Voneus Village Cup, after some late Josh Bailey heroics nearly got them over the line against New Forest rivals Bramshaw, whose one-wicket win was arguably the biggest local surprise. 
In a rain interrupted game, Bramshaw made a good start in pursuit of Sway’s 170, but when Tom Arnold was out for 41, the visitors slipped from 61-2 to 72-6 – the collapse being triggered by the impressive spin of Dan Bailey (4-18). 
However, the players were twice taken off for rain at 90-6, with Bramshaw behind the run rate needed to go through. When the heavens finally stopped and the ground dried out, Sway found the going with the wet ball difficult and Bramshaw got a foothold back in the game, the hosts conceding a significant number of wides among the 41 extras they gifted the visitors. 
But Zane DiMonte (29), was caught by keeper Alex Hall off Josh Bailey – and when the same bowler castled James Martin going for a big heave with one to win, Sway sensed a win. It was not to be as Jonty Loveless shovelled the winning runs over the field. 
Earlier, Sway chose to bat first but found the going difficult on a lively pitch and against a well-disciplined Bramshaw attack, falling to 31-4.  
But Tom Burton continued to look in excellent nick throughout his hard-hit 40 and after he was joined by Oscar Marshall – who batted nicely and made 50 – and big hitters Hugo Chandler (12) and Dave Steadman (34) got in, Sway posted a competitive score. 

Stalwart Chris Thomas has experienced it all during his stunning 54 years of service to Bedhampton Mariners. 
Transitioning from colts player to first teamer, holding down roles as 1st XI and 2nd XI captain before eventually calling time on his playing career just four years ago aged 63.
Oh, and he’s also currently in his second stint as chairman, is a former club president and a qualified umpire who dons the white jacket for Bedhampton's matches home and away.
Thomas' cricketing story, affection and dedication to the Bidbury Mead-based club he joined way back in 1967 as a 13-year-old is quite remarkable, writes Lewis Mason of The News, Portsmouth.
The 67-year-old Purbrook resident has had some involvement with Bedhampton Mariners in each of the 53 seasons which have passed since then.
And that is not about to change with Thomas ready to mix his role as chairman and club umpire for Bedhampton in the 2021 Hampshire League campaign starting this weekend.
Though the club were forced to withdraw its 1st XI from County 1 last month due to a lack of players, a Bedhampton 2nd XI and 3rd XI will play in regional divisions.
Thomas said: ‘I’m very proud and my blood runs Bedhampton. It’s something that I feel extremely proud of my association at the club.
                                                                                          Camaradie
‘I’ve had the opportunity to play at a higher level but I always felt I didn’t really want the pressure of going to join a new club and leaving the players I’ve been associated with over a number of years.
‘I’ve probably seen something like three or four generations of players pass through. When I first started it was just friendly cricket, it was all local and around the southern and south east part of Hampshire.  I never felt that I wanted to leave.
‘Mainly the enjoyment (why he’s stayed on for so long). The camaraderie of the players who I play with, my children started to play cricket so there was the fact of seeing them grow within the club as well.'
As club chairman, next year is sure to be extra special for Thomas and one he is eagerly anticipating.
Bedhampton Mariners celebrate 150 years since forming in 2022 while Thomas will reach his 55th successive season of club association.
Already plans are in place over how to mark the special anniversary and, as the only serving member still involved from the centenary year, he hopes it proves to be as memorable as 1972.
He recalled: ‘I’m privileged that I played in our centenary year and we had a cricket week.
‘At that time, it was the start of the Hampshire League as it was but the league wasn’t played as a proper season in the first couple of years. I think the fixtures were June and July so you played either side of that time.
                                                                                         Centenary year
'We had a cricket week and our special game for the centenary year was that we played England Women’s cricket team at the end of our year.
‘We’ve got some plans next year for a tournament for our centenary year.

Bedhampton 2004. Back (from left): Chris Thomas, John Beacham , Martyn Hovey, Gary Layman, Gary Phillips, Chris Grayson. Front: Gary Clark, Ben Silva, Chris Hovey, Dan Clark, John McCoy. Picture: The News.

​There might be some who recognise Thomas' name from a different sporting background.
That's because he would spend his summers turning out for Bedhampton while his winters were reserved for football.
Thomas played for Horndean Reserves, Hayling Island and Bedhampton before becoming a referee who officiated at Wessex League level.
Although his football commitments went on the backburner a few years ago, he remains determined to continue his Mariners affiliation for a few years yet.
Thomas said: 'I’ve tried to step back bit by bit and tried to get people to take on the reins and allow me to drift subtly behind the scenes a little bit.
'At the moment, what I do with my involvement with the club, it gives me a chance to keep being involved with the younger players, pass on my knowledge where appropriate, but mainly just being in the club itself.
‘I just enjoy being part of a social club.  I think you probably find you get into the routine and I was lucky enough that I had year round sporting activity.'   Reproduced by kind permission of The News.

With the Officer's Ground square having been re-laid, United Services will be nipping across to the other side of Burnaby Road to play their home matches in Hampshire League County Division 3 South this season.
In the process they'll create a bizarre piece of HL history because Saturday's match against Follands will not only be played on a non-turf 22-yard pitch, but also with an artificial 3/4G outfield !
The HMS Temeraire outfield doubles up for Royal Navy rugby and soccer, so fielders will need to be at their sharpest as the ball will doubtless rocket across the artificial surfaced outfield.
It promises to be a busy afternoon at Burnaby Road, with the giant killing US Portsmouth Wessex League soccer team hosting Binfield in the FA Vase semi-final barely a six-hit away in the Victory Stadium.