Sway's Dave Steadman followed up his 4-12 v Longparish with 50 at Easton & Martyr Worthy [Lymington Times]
Sway have stolen a march on their rain ravaged Division 1 rivals by not only playing but also winning their opening two matches.
While seven of the 17 teams have yet to take the field, Sway have steamrollered Longparish and beaten Easton & Martyr Worthy by 107 runs.
Fifties from Alex Hall and David Steadman - aided by some brutal late order hitting - enabled Sway to set up what ultimately proved to be a commanding victory in Easton’s Cockets Mead mini-bowl.
However, there were a few jitters when Sway, having been put into bat, slipped to 72-4 at the halfway point. That was in spite of the visitors getting a terrific 55-run head start by Hall and fellow opener Tim Noble (26).
The game turned back in Sway's favour when Hall was joined by Steadman, who survived an early run out scare. The pair batted brilliantly, with Steadman circumspect at the start before crushing two maximums and Hall flailing one ball over extra cover for six in his 57.
When Hall departed Steadman carried on in his merry way to notch up his 50, laying the platform for an end of the innings run feast, with blows from Josh Bailey before Hugh Bernard smacked 22 off seven balls and Jon Grasham 13 off just four.
The reply began after a rain shower during the tea interval threatened to derail Sway's hopes, and left Easton needing a revised 195 off 34 overs.
With the clouds darkening, Sway set to work among the hosts batting, opening pair Jon Waller and Dave Steadman making early inroads, and by the time good work by Tom Burton secured a run out to leave Easton 39-3 off 15 overs, the game was Sway's unless the rain came to Easton's rescue.
The showers stayed away as Dan Bailey (3-26) ran through the hosts middle order, assisted by Grasham (2-12). Bernard (2-11) polished off the tail to leave EMW 88 all out (Joey Mitchell 29) and Sway two wins from two.
St Cross Symondians have also played twice – with mixed results, a narrow 12-run defeat at Old Basing being followed by a comprehensive seven-wicket win over a Lymington II side expected to be among the survival strugglers this term.
They took advantage of the micro-climate around Winchester – head groundsman Steve Oliphant doubtless sipping a satisfying pint late on for his hard work in getting the Green Jackets ground fit and being rewarded with two St Cross Symondians’ victories either side of the hedge.
Josh Merluk (3-13), Stephen Fryer (3-36) and Charlie Preston (2-26) cut through the Lymington batting to leave the New Forest visitors 139 all out (Ollie Elliott 34).
Ed Freeman removed Raj Naik for a duck but Kevin Neave and the promising Ben Foster soon reasserted Symondians’ grip, their century stand easing St Cross towards touching distance of victory.
The experienced Neave showed he’d lost none of his skills, hitting a six and 11 boundaries in a run-a-ball 69, enabling Foster, his apprentice, to enjoy a learning experience off the master from 22 yards distance.
The only other match to start was at Havant Park, where Hursley Park were purring nicely at 100-2 when the rains came.
Experienced duo Paul Longland and Jody Brown set up OTs & Romsey seconds 46-run win at Division 2 rivals IBM Hursley, the only game to finish in tier six
Longland carried his bat for an unbeaten 81 as OTR posted 220-6, while Rob Pfeiffer hit back with 89 in IBM’s 174 all out, Brown taking 4-23 and being involved in a run-out.
Two centuries were scored at Church Road, where Rowledge IIs chased down an abridged RAM total of 216 to win by six wickets off the last ball.
Inayat Khan made 108 of RAM’S original 232-9 – unconfirmed rumours suggest he was spilled at an embryo stage by an unnamed Hampshire Seniors’ spinner – but Chris Yates (his namesake by any chance ?) made 106 for Rowledge, sharing a 150-plus stand with Max Martin (54).
In Division 4 South, Hambledon took a mere 14 balls to polish off the 48 runs they needed to get past Locks Heath’s rain cut 75-9 – old stagers Mark le Clerq (4-15) and Ian Turner (3-21) proving too good for the Ridge Meadow visitors.
With their planned SPL3 match against Hythe & Dibden washed out, Purbrook fielded four first teamers against Bishop’s Waltham seconds – Josh McCoy cashed in with 118, including 14 fours out of his side’s score of 193-6 made before the rains came.
While seven of the 17 teams have yet to take the field, Sway have steamrollered Longparish and beaten Easton & Martyr Worthy by 107 runs.
Fifties from Alex Hall and David Steadman - aided by some brutal late order hitting - enabled Sway to set up what ultimately proved to be a commanding victory in Easton’s Cockets Mead mini-bowl.
However, there were a few jitters when Sway, having been put into bat, slipped to 72-4 at the halfway point. That was in spite of the visitors getting a terrific 55-run head start by Hall and fellow opener Tim Noble (26).
The game turned back in Sway's favour when Hall was joined by Steadman, who survived an early run out scare. The pair batted brilliantly, with Steadman circumspect at the start before crushing two maximums and Hall flailing one ball over extra cover for six in his 57.
When Hall departed Steadman carried on in his merry way to notch up his 50, laying the platform for an end of the innings run feast, with blows from Josh Bailey before Hugh Bernard smacked 22 off seven balls and Jon Grasham 13 off just four.
The reply began after a rain shower during the tea interval threatened to derail Sway's hopes, and left Easton needing a revised 195 off 34 overs.
With the clouds darkening, Sway set to work among the hosts batting, opening pair Jon Waller and Dave Steadman making early inroads, and by the time good work by Tom Burton secured a run out to leave Easton 39-3 off 15 overs, the game was Sway's unless the rain came to Easton's rescue.
The showers stayed away as Dan Bailey (3-26) ran through the hosts middle order, assisted by Grasham (2-12). Bernard (2-11) polished off the tail to leave EMW 88 all out (Joey Mitchell 29) and Sway two wins from two.
St Cross Symondians have also played twice – with mixed results, a narrow 12-run defeat at Old Basing being followed by a comprehensive seven-wicket win over a Lymington II side expected to be among the survival strugglers this term.
They took advantage of the micro-climate around Winchester – head groundsman Steve Oliphant doubtless sipping a satisfying pint late on for his hard work in getting the Green Jackets ground fit and being rewarded with two St Cross Symondians’ victories either side of the hedge.
Josh Merluk (3-13), Stephen Fryer (3-36) and Charlie Preston (2-26) cut through the Lymington batting to leave the New Forest visitors 139 all out (Ollie Elliott 34).
Ed Freeman removed Raj Naik for a duck but Kevin Neave and the promising Ben Foster soon reasserted Symondians’ grip, their century stand easing St Cross towards touching distance of victory.
The experienced Neave showed he’d lost none of his skills, hitting a six and 11 boundaries in a run-a-ball 69, enabling Foster, his apprentice, to enjoy a learning experience off the master from 22 yards distance.
The only other match to start was at Havant Park, where Hursley Park were purring nicely at 100-2 when the rains came.
Experienced duo Paul Longland and Jody Brown set up OTs & Romsey seconds 46-run win at Division 2 rivals IBM Hursley, the only game to finish in tier six
Longland carried his bat for an unbeaten 81 as OTR posted 220-6, while Rob Pfeiffer hit back with 89 in IBM’s 174 all out, Brown taking 4-23 and being involved in a run-out.
Two centuries were scored at Church Road, where Rowledge IIs chased down an abridged RAM total of 216 to win by six wickets off the last ball.
Inayat Khan made 108 of RAM’S original 232-9 – unconfirmed rumours suggest he was spilled at an embryo stage by an unnamed Hampshire Seniors’ spinner – but Chris Yates (his namesake by any chance ?) made 106 for Rowledge, sharing a 150-plus stand with Max Martin (54).
In Division 4 South, Hambledon took a mere 14 balls to polish off the 48 runs they needed to get past Locks Heath’s rain cut 75-9 – old stagers Mark le Clerq (4-15) and Ian Turner (3-21) proving too good for the Ridge Meadow visitors.
With their planned SPL3 match against Hythe & Dibden washed out, Purbrook fielded four first teamers against Bishop’s Waltham seconds – Josh McCoy cashed in with 118, including 14 fours out of his side’s score of 193-6 made before the rains came.
Purbrook first team skipper Josh McCoy took a ton off Bishop's Waltham second team.
