Liam Doran, Hook (pic LMI) It was so near, yet so far for Hook & Newnham Basics as they lost by a solitary run chasing down a James Brooke inspired St Cross Symondians total of 264.
All appeared lost when Hook, bidding to keep in touch with unbeaten County Division 1 leaders Alton II, sank to 48-4.
But a battling middle-order fight-back – three batsmen hit half-centuries - and then another late rally took Basics to within touching distance of the target and left skipper Kevin Light rueing the opportunities that had got away.
Earlier, Brooke put the HNB bowling to the sword as only he knows how – with plenty of big, straight hitting in a no-nonsense 109.
Hook got him out at 196-7 but, having sent down 41 extras, found themselves frustrated as Henry Eades (34) engineered the tail to lift the tea-time total to 269.
Losing four of their top order before their reply had reached 50 was far from ideal for Hook, but half-centuries by Andy Darmody (51) and Ben Allnut (52) put them back in the picture.
With Kerr Franklin (35) alongside, last summer’s HCB Under-15 cup winning captain Liam Doran (who had earlier taken 3-46 with his off-spin) hit a maiden 53 not out, but ran out of partners as Steve Fryer (4-38) returned to take the last three wickets and leave Hook high and dry on 268 all out.
The result left Hook in joint fourth place behind Purbrook and Portsmouth & Southsea, who each won to keep the pressure on Alton II.
Purbrook lost to Alton recently, but experienced few difficulties in beating an under-strength New Milton II by 122 runs at Fernhill.
Opener Martin Lee (68) underpinned Purbrook’s 208-9, getting middle-order support from James Holder (35) and Hamid Khan (29), who later took 3-17 as NM fell to 86 all out (Raff Hussey 32). Aaron Dean took 4-11.
P & S don’t play Alton until mid-August, but they will have taken delight in inflicting a third successive defeat on newly promoted United Services, who topped the log an the end of May.
Matt (88) and Tom Benfield (65) piloted P & S to a competitive 245-8 (Matt Easton 4-78), but when Mark Toogood (63) and Tom May (36) gave US a near 100-run start it was game on.
The tide turned when Jack Peach (4-25) rolled out four of the Services’ top five, including Aussie run gun Matt Rogers (22). United Services closed 219-6.
P & S skipper Kieran Dunstan conceded: “We had to battle hard for this one. For the first 25 overs of both innings United Services were much the better team, but at the business end, however, we made it count.
OTs & Romsey II are joint fourth after a nine-wicket rout at Southern Gardens, where they mowed bottom side Totton & Eling II down for 102 – John Dowling and Tim Slade sharing eight of the wickets.
Slade (40), Shane Vidler (38) and Paul Longland, with 29 not out, completed the formalities in only 13 overs.
Martin Peters answered a late call to bale out depleted Ropley – and promptly hit a match winning century against Fareham & Crofton at Vicarage Lane.
Peters, who confesses to be in ‘semi-retirement’ as a club cricketer, 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, a total beyond Fareham’s reach, 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.
Lewis Taylor (5-24) and Iain Hardcastle, with 56, guided Burridge II to a maiden CD1 victory over Andover, who are finding life tough after two successive promotions.
Ellingham enjoyed a five- wicket win at Bishops Waltham, whose first five batsmen managed just 15 runs between them as they crashed to 22-5 against Ali Redfern (3-32) and Sean Ledbetter (2-25).
Gareth Lovett (37) and Ian Budd (17) stopped the rot with a stand of 50 and then Sam Medhurst (31) chipped in, but with wickets falling to Tom Faulkner (2-29) and Jim Edwards (2-17), they were all out for 141 in the 47th over.
After losing a couple of early wickets, Ellingham settled down with David Douse and Edwards both making 42 that ensured victory in the 46th over.
The most relieved side of the day were Ventnor seconds, who were spared the Hampshire League’s longest journey – an away day at Shrewton, high up on Salisbury Plain !
When they visited the Wiltshire village last summer, Ventnor’s team bus left before breakfast and didn’t return home again until after midnight ….
All appeared lost when Hook, bidding to keep in touch with unbeaten County Division 1 leaders Alton II, sank to 48-4.
But a battling middle-order fight-back – three batsmen hit half-centuries - and then another late rally took Basics to within touching distance of the target and left skipper Kevin Light rueing the opportunities that had got away.
Earlier, Brooke put the HNB bowling to the sword as only he knows how – with plenty of big, straight hitting in a no-nonsense 109.
Hook got him out at 196-7 but, having sent down 41 extras, found themselves frustrated as Henry Eades (34) engineered the tail to lift the tea-time total to 269.
Losing four of their top order before their reply had reached 50 was far from ideal for Hook, but half-centuries by Andy Darmody (51) and Ben Allnut (52) put them back in the picture.
With Kerr Franklin (35) alongside, last summer’s HCB Under-15 cup winning captain Liam Doran (who had earlier taken 3-46 with his off-spin) hit a maiden 53 not out, but ran out of partners as Steve Fryer (4-38) returned to take the last three wickets and leave Hook high and dry on 268 all out.
The result left Hook in joint fourth place behind Purbrook and Portsmouth & Southsea, who each won to keep the pressure on Alton II.
Purbrook lost to Alton recently, but experienced few difficulties in beating an under-strength New Milton II by 122 runs at Fernhill.
Opener Martin Lee (68) underpinned Purbrook’s 208-9, getting middle-order support from James Holder (35) and Hamid Khan (29), who later took 3-17 as NM fell to 86 all out (Raff Hussey 32). Aaron Dean took 4-11.
P & S don’t play Alton until mid-August, but they will have taken delight in inflicting a third successive defeat on newly promoted United Services, who topped the log an the end of May.
Matt (88) and Tom Benfield (65) piloted P & S to a competitive 245-8 (Matt Easton 4-78), but when Mark Toogood (63) and Tom May (36) gave US a near 100-run start it was game on.
The tide turned when Jack Peach (4-25) rolled out four of the Services’ top five, including Aussie run gun Matt Rogers (22). United Services closed 219-6.
P & S skipper Kieran Dunstan conceded: “We had to battle hard for this one. For the first 25 overs of both innings United Services were much the better team, but at the business end, however, we made it count.
OTs & Romsey II are joint fourth after a nine-wicket rout at Southern Gardens, where they mowed bottom side Totton & Eling II down for 102 – John Dowling and Tim Slade sharing eight of the wickets.
Slade (40), Shane Vidler (38) and Paul Longland, with 29 not out, completed the formalities in only 13 overs.
Martin Peters answered a late call to bale out depleted Ropley – and promptly hit a match winning century against Fareham & Crofton at Vicarage Lane.
Peters, who confesses to be in ‘semi-retirement’ as a club cricketer, 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, a total beyond Fareham’s reach, 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.
Lewis Taylor (5-24) and Iain Hardcastle, with 56, guided Burridge II to a maiden CD1 victory over Andover, who are finding life tough after two successive promotions.
Ellingham enjoyed a five- wicket win at Bishops Waltham, whose first five batsmen managed just 15 runs between them as they crashed to 22-5 against Ali Redfern (3-32) and Sean Ledbetter (2-25).
Gareth Lovett (37) and Ian Budd (17) stopped the rot with a stand of 50 and then Sam Medhurst (31) chipped in, but with wickets falling to Tom Faulkner (2-29) and Jim Edwards (2-17), they were all out for 141 in the 47th over.
After losing a couple of early wickets, Ellingham settled down with David Douse and Edwards both making 42 that ensured victory in the 46th over.
The most relieved side of the day were Ventnor seconds, who were spared the Hampshire League’s longest journey – an away day at Shrewton, high up on Salisbury Plain !
When they visited the Wiltshire village last summer, Ventnor’s team bus left before breakfast and didn’t return home again until after midnight ….