Fasten your safety belts for a photo finish to the Hampshire League, County Division 1 championship race – starting tomorrow !
With two rounds of matches remaining, a mere five points separate Parley (228), Hook & Newnham Basics II (224) and Gosport Borough, with 223.
Games left for the trio are -
Parley: Shrewton (home) and St Cross Symondians III (away)
Hook & Newnham Basics: Longparish (away) and Ropley (home)
Gosport Borough: Alton II (away) and Shrewton (away)
There was a dramatic twist in the title race last weekend when lowly Bedhampton over-turned Hook & Newnham Basics, who went into the match at the KGV with a seven-point advantage Bedhampton's surprise ten-run win not only allowed Parley (washed out against Alton II) to leapfrog to the top - but let Gosport Borough back into the mix.
Hook could hardly believe what was happening as they progressed serenely to 104-1 after dismissing Bedhampton for 154, teenager Will Gardner taking 4-21 and former Basingstoke seamer Ryan Connor 3-15.
But the efforts of Harry Warner (53) and Dan Moore (35) came to nothing as Hook lost nine wickets for 44 runs, crash landing to 148 all out.
Ali Gardner took 4-19 and the promising Martyn Hovey 3-27, the latter having top scored with 61 for the Mariners.
Gosport cashed in with a handsome eight-wicket win over Old Tauntonians & Romsey, whom they bowled out for 170.
The visitors were inserted and soon found themselves 13-3 with Aussie-bound Jacob Harris (3-24) doing the damage.
The introduction of Sampath Prathapasinghe (3-29) and teenager Jack Richards (3-41) kept the momentum going as the innings lurched to 87-7, only to be frustrated by a spirited late rally and dropped catches.
Gus Flack (41) and Alex Bampton (39) struck some good blows to get to a final total of 170, Harris and Greg Kitchin nabbing three catches apiece.
Gosport skipper Lee Harrop smote 60 from 63 balls, including 11 boundaries, at the top of the Borough innings.
Simon Creal (25*) played the ideal supporting role as Harris’s 45* included eight boundaries and the winning six for a maximum 24-point Borough haul.
Mark Padwick’s five-wicket haul saw Longparish lose their last six wickets for 27 runs and earn St Cross Symondians (160) victory.
Hursley Park were dismissed for 83 and resoundingly beaten by eight wickets by Easton & Martyr Worthy.
Matt Donaldson played a lead role in Old Basing's 74-run win over Andover II, top scoring with 60 before sharing six of the Lions' wickets with Ben Ungaretti. Basing totalled 200-9 before reducing Andover to 43-6 and later 126 all out.
It's not looking good for Ryde at the foot of County 1, where the islanders' lie third from the bottom of the log some 15 points adrift of Havant.
Kerry Rice made 61 of their 171-8 against visiting Burridge, whose electric fielding led to three run outs.
Sid Wickramasinghe (67) is far too smart and wise to get run out but saw Burridge tumble from 103-2 to 172-8 before Brad Griffiths (43) helped get the mainlanders' across the line.
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With two rounds of matches remaining, a mere five points separate Parley (228), Hook & Newnham Basics II (224) and Gosport Borough, with 223.
Games left for the trio are -
Parley: Shrewton (home) and St Cross Symondians III (away)
Hook & Newnham Basics: Longparish (away) and Ropley (home)
Gosport Borough: Alton II (away) and Shrewton (away)
There was a dramatic twist in the title race last weekend when lowly Bedhampton over-turned Hook & Newnham Basics, who went into the match at the KGV with a seven-point advantage Bedhampton's surprise ten-run win not only allowed Parley (washed out against Alton II) to leapfrog to the top - but let Gosport Borough back into the mix.
Hook could hardly believe what was happening as they progressed serenely to 104-1 after dismissing Bedhampton for 154, teenager Will Gardner taking 4-21 and former Basingstoke seamer Ryan Connor 3-15.
But the efforts of Harry Warner (53) and Dan Moore (35) came to nothing as Hook lost nine wickets for 44 runs, crash landing to 148 all out.
Ali Gardner took 4-19 and the promising Martyn Hovey 3-27, the latter having top scored with 61 for the Mariners.
Gosport cashed in with a handsome eight-wicket win over Old Tauntonians & Romsey, whom they bowled out for 170.
The visitors were inserted and soon found themselves 13-3 with Aussie-bound Jacob Harris (3-24) doing the damage.
The introduction of Sampath Prathapasinghe (3-29) and teenager Jack Richards (3-41) kept the momentum going as the innings lurched to 87-7, only to be frustrated by a spirited late rally and dropped catches.
Gus Flack (41) and Alex Bampton (39) struck some good blows to get to a final total of 170, Harris and Greg Kitchin nabbing three catches apiece.
Gosport skipper Lee Harrop smote 60 from 63 balls, including 11 boundaries, at the top of the Borough innings.
Simon Creal (25*) played the ideal supporting role as Harris’s 45* included eight boundaries and the winning six for a maximum 24-point Borough haul.
Mark Padwick’s five-wicket haul saw Longparish lose their last six wickets for 27 runs and earn St Cross Symondians (160) victory.
Hursley Park were dismissed for 83 and resoundingly beaten by eight wickets by Easton & Martyr Worthy.
Matt Donaldson played a lead role in Old Basing's 74-run win over Andover II, top scoring with 60 before sharing six of the Lions' wickets with Ben Ungaretti. Basing totalled 200-9 before reducing Andover to 43-6 and later 126 all out.
It's not looking good for Ryde at the foot of County 1, where the islanders' lie third from the bottom of the log some 15 points adrift of Havant.
Kerry Rice made 61 of their 171-8 against visiting Burridge, whose electric fielding led to three run outs.
Sid Wickramasinghe (67) is far too smart and wise to get run out but saw Burridge tumble from 103-2 to 172-8 before Brad Griffiths (43) helped get the mainlanders' across the line.
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