Hursley Park have finished runners-up in Hampshire League Division 1 - despite losing three of their last five matches !
They looked set to lift the title with some ease after winning their first nine games, but a controversial, rain affected defeat by Hythe & Dibden in mid-July, coupled with several untimely washouts, knocked their challenge off course.
They got things back on track by beating Ryde and Old Basing, but consecutive defeats by Odiham & Greywell (who finished third) and Shrewton torpedoed any prospects they had of winning the championship.
Fortunately, Hursley banked enough points in the first two months to ensure a second placed finish behind Wimborne-based Ferndown Wayfarers, who took the title at the first attempt.
Tom Flynn hit 120 in Hursley's final game - bringing up his 1,000 runs for the season in the process - but by then Shrewton (minus former England ODI all-rounder Rikki Clarke) had blazed 284-8. Hursley replied with 250, Flynn scoring almost half of them.
Compton & Chandler's Ford's season petered out in almost identical fashion, with the 2022 HL champions losing four of their last six matches, the final two against Basingstoke & North Hants II (76 all out) and Ferndown Wayfarers (90 all out) when, on both occasions, they were dismissed for less than 100.
CCF had to make do with a fourth place finish, with Easton & Martyr Worthy among the three clubs relegated from Division 1, alongside Purbrook and Winton.
They looked set to lift the title with some ease after winning their first nine games, but a controversial, rain affected defeat by Hythe & Dibden in mid-July, coupled with several untimely washouts, knocked their challenge off course.
They got things back on track by beating Ryde and Old Basing, but consecutive defeats by Odiham & Greywell (who finished third) and Shrewton torpedoed any prospects they had of winning the championship.
Fortunately, Hursley banked enough points in the first two months to ensure a second placed finish behind Wimborne-based Ferndown Wayfarers, who took the title at the first attempt.
Tom Flynn hit 120 in Hursley's final game - bringing up his 1,000 runs for the season in the process - but by then Shrewton (minus former England ODI all-rounder Rikki Clarke) had blazed 284-8. Hursley replied with 250, Flynn scoring almost half of them.
Compton & Chandler's Ford's season petered out in almost identical fashion, with the 2022 HL champions losing four of their last six matches, the final two against Basingstoke & North Hants II (76 all out) and Ferndown Wayfarers (90 all out) when, on both occasions, they were dismissed for less than 100.
CCF had to make do with a fourth place finish, with Easton & Martyr Worthy among the three clubs relegated from Division 1, alongside Purbrook and Winton.
