Martin Peters answered a last minute plea to bale out depleted Ropley – and promptly hit a match winning century against Hampshire League County Division 1 rivals Fareham & Crofton at Vicarage Lane.
Peters, who confesses to be in ‘semi-retirement’ as a club cricketer, was all set to spend Saturday afternoon in his Winchester sports shop, but when the call came he locked up and rushed off to play.
“We were pretty short for one reason or another and I felt I couldn’t let the lads play with only ten,” he explained.
“But I honestly didn’t expect to play such a lead role in the game.”
Peters hit 14 fours in his 100 and shared a 151-run third-wicket partnership with South African Tim Niemand (87) as Ropley posted a formidable 265-9 (Ben White 5-47), a total beyond Fareham, who made 171 in reply.
“I left the crease kicking himself after sending an inviting full-toss into deep mid-wicket’s hands just after completing my century. A career-best was there for the taking,” he moaned.
For Fareham, Andy King (36) and Pete Briggs (33) top scred, with teenager George Wickens taking 3-11 for Ropley.
Footnote: It was Sir Alf Ramsay, in the lead up to England's 1966 World Cup triumph, who described West Ham United's Martin Peters as "being ten years ahead of his time."
Peters, who confesses to be in ‘semi-retirement’ as a club cricketer, was all set to spend Saturday afternoon in his Winchester sports shop, but when the call came he locked up and rushed off to play.
“We were pretty short for one reason or another and I felt I couldn’t let the lads play with only ten,” he explained.
“But I honestly didn’t expect to play such a lead role in the game.”
Peters hit 14 fours in his 100 and shared a 151-run third-wicket partnership with South African Tim Niemand (87) as Ropley posted a formidable 265-9 (Ben White 5-47), a total beyond Fareham, who made 171 in reply.
“I left the crease kicking himself after sending an inviting full-toss into deep mid-wicket’s hands just after completing my century. A career-best was there for the taking,” he moaned.
For Fareham, Andy King (36) and Pete Briggs (33) top scred, with teenager George Wickens taking 3-11 for Ropley.
Footnote: It was Sir Alf Ramsay, in the lead up to England's 1966 World Cup triumph, who described West Ham United's Martin Peters as "being ten years ahead of his time."