Ropley's Jimmy Hawking It was a mixed start for the five new sides into Hampshire League County Division 1 cricket.
Alton II, emphatically relegated from Southern Premier League Division 3 alongside Totton & Eling seconds last term, won.
But the Eels, along with promoted pair Andover II and Bishops Waltham, were all heavily beaten.
Andover and Totton were on the receiving end of some serious run punishment, writes Mike Vimpany.
Bishops Waltham captain Dan Wheeler admitted his side – not unlike many others on the circuit - were “undercooked” for their CD1 bow with Alton at the Albany Ground.
“We had only had one pre-season game and went into the Alton game massively undercooked,” he said.
Early strikes by Stephen Ball (3-8) and subsequent middle-order inroads created by Lee Painter (5-32) left BW (36-6 at one stage) trying to defend 109 (Andy Wakely 33) – a target Alton polished off for the loss of three wickets.
Openers Andy Postles (31) and Ryan Hale (20) put on 43, after which Richard Anthony (29) completed the formalities.
It’s got the look of a long hard season for Totton & Eling, who have begun a sizeable rebuilding operation after the latest player exodus from Southern Gardens.
At least Totton understand their situation and know they’ll take a pasting or two before they find their level and some of the emerging junior Eels come through.
Ropley, who struggled for much of last season, put 302-8 on the electronic Southern Gardens scoreboard – but not one of their batsmen scored a fifty !
Clearly none of them knew of Simon Preston’s favourable bar prices …
Instead, it was left to Charterhouse schoolboy Jamie Hawkings, pictured, to take the plaudits with a 5-8 return, which accounted for three top order bats and two in the tail. Totton made 82.
Andover also found themselves on the receiving end of a 300-run battering, with Matt Rogers cracking a mighty 154 for United Services and enjoying a 155-run stand with Tom May (66).
Rogers, a 19-year old from the Tuggeranong Valley club in the Australian Capital Territory, played a handful of games for US last summer, but is here for the whole season.
Max Romer-Lee, coached by former Hampshire all-rounder Jon Ayling at Dauntseys, top scored with 69 for Andover (230) and was promoted for today’s SPL match with Bournemouth.
Steve Berryman, pictured, hit an unbeaten 108 as St Cross Symondians III made a flying start with a 99-run win at Ellingham.
His century underpinned a powerful St Cross total of 261, which the New Forest club (162) was unable to match.
Purbrook, comfortable 138-run winners at Sarisbury Athletic II, have signed Christchurch-based New Zealander Benny Michel as their overseas player.
He played Gloucestershire League Division 3 cricket for Stroud-based King’s Langley last summer, scoring over 450 runs and finishing lead bowler with 32 poles.
Michel (58) hit a debut half-century and joined John Moller (49) and Clark Harding (49) in the run making stakes as Purbrook, one of the fancied CD1 teams this term, posted a healthy 285-9 – far too many for Sarisbury, who managed 147 all out.
Nathan Snelling (4-43) and Aaron Dean (3-21) did the damage for Purbrook, who had SA 85-7 at one stage.
Shrewton beat OTs & Romsey II by 24 runs win at OTs & Romsey II, with Sam Gillott (69) and Dan Bingley (57) sharing a century stand.
But they slipped from 137-2 to 181-8 and were in danger of posting a sub-200 total until Dan Pownall (29) and Paul Clancy (11) combined well to take the score to 226.
Dan Pownall (4-37) and Marcus Jenkins (2-21) were too much for the OTR top order as OTs, but Ian Woodhall (73) led a recovery from 58-5.
At 170-6, OTR were back in it, but Shrews regrouped and bowled their hosts out for 202.
Burridge, with 242-9, made a decent fist of trying to chase down Hook & Newnham Basics’ 254-4, of which one-time Fareham & Crofton skipper Kevin Light made 94 and Ben Alnutt a key 43.
Teenager Jonathan Green (70) and Ian Hardcastle (50) made runs for Burridge.
Fareham and Ventnor II look as though they might struggle this season.
With any overseas aid, Fareham lost a low scoring affair by thee wickets to New Milton II at Bath Lane.
Only Ben Kissane (35) and opener Tom Kent (25) made their mark for F & C, whose modest 128 seemed likely to test the Green & Golds when Ben White (3-33) got amongst their top order.
Fresh from a three-wicket stint with the ball, Ryan Beck (43) and former Parley teen Oli Shrubsole (24) pulled New Milton round, but work was still to be done when eighth-wicket pair Joe Hall and Dave Crossley came together to secure the victory.
Kissane took a youthful Fareham side to Steephill today to face a Ventnor side well beaten by seven wickets by Portsmouth & Southsea at St James’s Park.
Left-arm spinner Keiron Dunstan took 5-29 as Ventnor were whisked out for 117.
Alton II, emphatically relegated from Southern Premier League Division 3 alongside Totton & Eling seconds last term, won.
But the Eels, along with promoted pair Andover II and Bishops Waltham, were all heavily beaten.
Andover and Totton were on the receiving end of some serious run punishment, writes Mike Vimpany.
Bishops Waltham captain Dan Wheeler admitted his side – not unlike many others on the circuit - were “undercooked” for their CD1 bow with Alton at the Albany Ground.
“We had only had one pre-season game and went into the Alton game massively undercooked,” he said.
Early strikes by Stephen Ball (3-8) and subsequent middle-order inroads created by Lee Painter (5-32) left BW (36-6 at one stage) trying to defend 109 (Andy Wakely 33) – a target Alton polished off for the loss of three wickets.
Openers Andy Postles (31) and Ryan Hale (20) put on 43, after which Richard Anthony (29) completed the formalities.
It’s got the look of a long hard season for Totton & Eling, who have begun a sizeable rebuilding operation after the latest player exodus from Southern Gardens.
At least Totton understand their situation and know they’ll take a pasting or two before they find their level and some of the emerging junior Eels come through.
Ropley, who struggled for much of last season, put 302-8 on the electronic Southern Gardens scoreboard – but not one of their batsmen scored a fifty !
Clearly none of them knew of Simon Preston’s favourable bar prices …
Instead, it was left to Charterhouse schoolboy Jamie Hawkings, pictured, to take the plaudits with a 5-8 return, which accounted for three top order bats and two in the tail. Totton made 82.
Andover also found themselves on the receiving end of a 300-run battering, with Matt Rogers cracking a mighty 154 for United Services and enjoying a 155-run stand with Tom May (66).
Rogers, a 19-year old from the Tuggeranong Valley club in the Australian Capital Territory, played a handful of games for US last summer, but is here for the whole season.
Max Romer-Lee, coached by former Hampshire all-rounder Jon Ayling at Dauntseys, top scored with 69 for Andover (230) and was promoted for today’s SPL match with Bournemouth.
Steve Berryman, pictured, hit an unbeaten 108 as St Cross Symondians III made a flying start with a 99-run win at Ellingham.
His century underpinned a powerful St Cross total of 261, which the New Forest club (162) was unable to match.
Purbrook, comfortable 138-run winners at Sarisbury Athletic II, have signed Christchurch-based New Zealander Benny Michel as their overseas player.
He played Gloucestershire League Division 3 cricket for Stroud-based King’s Langley last summer, scoring over 450 runs and finishing lead bowler with 32 poles.
Michel (58) hit a debut half-century and joined John Moller (49) and Clark Harding (49) in the run making stakes as Purbrook, one of the fancied CD1 teams this term, posted a healthy 285-9 – far too many for Sarisbury, who managed 147 all out.
Nathan Snelling (4-43) and Aaron Dean (3-21) did the damage for Purbrook, who had SA 85-7 at one stage.
Shrewton beat OTs & Romsey II by 24 runs win at OTs & Romsey II, with Sam Gillott (69) and Dan Bingley (57) sharing a century stand.
But they slipped from 137-2 to 181-8 and were in danger of posting a sub-200 total until Dan Pownall (29) and Paul Clancy (11) combined well to take the score to 226.
Dan Pownall (4-37) and Marcus Jenkins (2-21) were too much for the OTR top order as OTs, but Ian Woodhall (73) led a recovery from 58-5.
At 170-6, OTR were back in it, but Shrews regrouped and bowled their hosts out for 202.
Burridge, with 242-9, made a decent fist of trying to chase down Hook & Newnham Basics’ 254-4, of which one-time Fareham & Crofton skipper Kevin Light made 94 and Ben Alnutt a key 43.
Teenager Jonathan Green (70) and Ian Hardcastle (50) made runs for Burridge.
Fareham and Ventnor II look as though they might struggle this season.
With any overseas aid, Fareham lost a low scoring affair by thee wickets to New Milton II at Bath Lane.
Only Ben Kissane (35) and opener Tom Kent (25) made their mark for F & C, whose modest 128 seemed likely to test the Green & Golds when Ben White (3-33) got amongst their top order.
Fresh from a three-wicket stint with the ball, Ryan Beck (43) and former Parley teen Oli Shrubsole (24) pulled New Milton round, but work was still to be done when eighth-wicket pair Joe Hall and Dave Crossley came together to secure the victory.
Kissane took a youthful Fareham side to Steephill today to face a Ventnor side well beaten by seven wickets by Portsmouth & Southsea at St James’s Park.
Left-arm spinner Keiron Dunstan took 5-29 as Ventnor were whisked out for 117.
