IBM Hursley champions Standing (from left): B Bennett, D Rides, M Pollard, I Heath, S Naqvi, I Cowdrill. Front: S Wallis, C Griffiths, T Rolfe, M Meech, S Rehman
IBM Hursley cricketers are celebrating what may be a historical triple Hampshire League promotion triumph.
The first team are County Division 4 North champions, while IBM second and third sides gained Regional Division promotions.
“It may be the first time in the Hampshire League history a club has achieved promotions for three teams in the same season,” said chairman Graham Meech.
[Portsmouth achieved a title double in Couny 3 South and Regional One South East this season and Longparish enjoyed a CD2 championship and two separate promnotions for their 2nd and 3rd XIs in 2016]
All three IBM teams had to win their final matches – and the celebrations rang out after last day opponents Overton, Whiteparish and Easton & Martyr Worthy were all beaten.
“Ironically, all three teams got off to a shaky start,” Meech confessed.
Hursley’s first team could hardly have run it closer – a 102-run win against Overton securing the CD4 North title by 0.06 points per match on average.
Ramsdell, who IBM beat handsomely three weeks ago, were nudged into second place, but also go up.
IBM won eight of their ten matches and will play County 3 North cricket in 2018.
The club’s second and third teams have only been formed in recent seasons – the seconds winning Regional 3 North in 2016 and celebrating a second consecutive promotion.
They finished runners-up to Twyford in R1 North – thanks to an 18-run win which pushed fellow high fliers Whiteparish into third spot.
A 77-run win over Easton & MW III clinched the runners-up position in Regional 3 North behind Aldershot.
“The encouraging aspect of this season’s success filters back to the formation of our junior section back in 2009 – we needed to find a way of creating a stream of new players into the club,” Meech explained.
“IBM would like to dedicate this season’s successes to Bobby Elliott, our scorer, record-keeper and historian, who passed away just before the end of the season.
“He would have been immensely proud.”
* Bobby Elliott's funeral is at Wessex Vale, West End, on Monday, 1pm.
The first team are County Division 4 North champions, while IBM second and third sides gained Regional Division promotions.
“It may be the first time in the Hampshire League history a club has achieved promotions for three teams in the same season,” said chairman Graham Meech.
[Portsmouth achieved a title double in Couny 3 South and Regional One South East this season and Longparish enjoyed a CD2 championship and two separate promnotions for their 2nd and 3rd XIs in 2016]
All three IBM teams had to win their final matches – and the celebrations rang out after last day opponents Overton, Whiteparish and Easton & Martyr Worthy were all beaten.
“Ironically, all three teams got off to a shaky start,” Meech confessed.
Hursley’s first team could hardly have run it closer – a 102-run win against Overton securing the CD4 North title by 0.06 points per match on average.
Ramsdell, who IBM beat handsomely three weeks ago, were nudged into second place, but also go up.
IBM won eight of their ten matches and will play County 3 North cricket in 2018.
The club’s second and third teams have only been formed in recent seasons – the seconds winning Regional 3 North in 2016 and celebrating a second consecutive promotion.
They finished runners-up to Twyford in R1 North – thanks to an 18-run win which pushed fellow high fliers Whiteparish into third spot.
A 77-run win over Easton & MW III clinched the runners-up position in Regional 3 North behind Aldershot.
“The encouraging aspect of this season’s success filters back to the formation of our junior section back in 2009 – we needed to find a way of creating a stream of new players into the club,” Meech explained.
“IBM would like to dedicate this season’s successes to Bobby Elliott, our scorer, record-keeper and historian, who passed away just before the end of the season.
“He would have been immensely proud.”
* Bobby Elliott's funeral is at Wessex Vale, West End, on Monday, 1pm.
