
The unbeaten pair both bowled their round three opponents out for less than 100 – Hythe & Dibden being skittled for 89 by Longparish and New Milton II 97 at Portsmouth & Southsea.
The Watersiders have experience a tough start since last season’s third place promotion finish in County 2, with demanding away matches at Hook & Newnham Basics and Lymington II on the card before Longparish’s visit.
Losing the toss did Hythe no favours as they were rushed out for 89 in 30 overs at Jones Lane, where Jack Levy’s good form continued with a 4-16 return.
The former Locks Heath all-rounder now has 12 wickets from Parish’s three wins.
Fourth last term, Portsmouth & Southsea are already taking up their title prospects.
After whipping New Milton seconds by eight wickets, skipper Kieran Dunstan said: “There is a real buzz in the club at the moment and a feeling that we are going places.
“The quality of cricket being played is the best since I have been here
“The team are going out there at the moment thinking about nothing but winning the games.'
P & S had few problems against New Milton, rushing the Green & Golds out for 97, with Jack Peach (3-33), Jonathan Willey (3-13) and Chris Turrell (2-14) doing the damage.
Jack Davies (69) led the Portsmouth & Southsea charge to victory securing his fifty off 68 balls in exactly one hour.
Ropley, third last year, are also unbeaten, but they were one of last weekend’s three weather casualties alongside Bishops Waltham (v St Cross Symondians III) and Hook & Newnham Basics III, who were due to host United Services.
Lymington’s two-match winning start ended at Harding Shute, where Ryde – beaten by arch island rivals Ventnor the previous week – inflicted a five-wicket defeat in a slightly rain affected affair.
Adie Hunt (53) and Dimitri Adams (46) top scored for Lymington, who rallied from 96-6 to post 201 – but it wasn’t enough to prevent Chichester University bookworm Josh Proctor from firing Ryde to victory.
Proctor put his studies to one side to flay an unbeaten 87 after Ben Wadmore (36) had given the islanders a sound start.
Ventnor II made it an island double when they chased down OTs & Romsey’s 218 to win by six wickets.
Despite a half-century by Stu Shapland (53), OTR were struggling at 114-6 against Hugh Calloway (2-35) and Sam Reed, who finished with 4-46.
Lewis Allen’s timely 57, with handy support from Danny Mogg (31), lifted the total to 218, a total Ventnor chased down, despite going from 64-0 to 93-4.
Tom Stafford (34) and young John Buckman (35) gave Ventnor a decent start, but it needed an unbroken 127-run stand between Calloway (70) and Alex Horton (56) to pick up the pieces after a mini-collapse.
Tom Kent,pictured above, batted almost the entire length of the innings for 83 to ensure Fareham & Crofton got off the mark at the third attempt with a three-wicket win over visiting Burridge II, who tried hard to defend 205-5.
Simon Bevis batted all 50 overs for his 61 for Burridge, but Kent saw six partners come and go before Fareham got over the line.
He batted 124 balls and enjoyed a key 81-run stand with 17-year old Reece Abrams (38), from the WACA Grade club Bayswater Morley, who is spending the summer at Bath Lane.
Ben White made a handy 23 not out to secure victory for Fareham.
Shrewton’s 280-8 against Rowledge II was comfortably the highest total of a rain affected round three programme.
Dan Bingley (87), Sam Gillot (69) and Will Sleeman (40) all made runs for Shrewton, who bowled Rowledge out for 169.