 Oliver Banks Williams' double strike ... |  .. Max Souter and Sam Ashman perish. |
Oliver Banks Williams will remember his first ball in Southern Premier League cricket for the rest of his career – it clean bowled Andover batsman Max Souter !
Bottom of Division 1 side Andover were already struggling at 17-4 at the Norman Edwards Ground when 14-year old Williams was introduced to the Sparsholt attack as third change.
His impact was immediate – the ball (pictured above by Bob Selley) beating Souter ends up and hitting the middle and leg stumps. Souter was out for four.
Banks Williams wasn’t finished. Seven runs later, he struck again – another straight delivery rearranging opener Sam Ashman’s stumps to leave Andover in a pickle at 30-6.
Banks Williams wasn’t the only teenage Sparsholt bowler to shine as 19-year old Tom Ley took 4-11, including opener Nathan Birks (bowled) and Matt Knight, caught behind by Josh May.
Andover, who are 17 points adrift of the nearest safety rung at the bottom of the table, were eventually dismissed for 84 – 25 of the runs coming in extras, mainly leg-side wides - Joshua Banks Williams taking 2-24 and Liam Doran and Dan Wier one each.
Chasing down the target was far from straight forward as Sparsholt lost seven wickets themselves, having been 49-5 at one stage, Richard Taylor taking 3-20 and Mike Adams 2-16.
Doran’s 16 was the highest individual score of the match and played a key role in Sparsholt’s success.
• Sparsholt’s scheduled Hampshire League match with Shrewton was cancelled due to eight members of the Wiltshire village team being isolated due to covid.
Bottom of Division 1 side Andover were already struggling at 17-4 at the Norman Edwards Ground when 14-year old Williams was introduced to the Sparsholt attack as third change.
His impact was immediate – the ball (pictured above by Bob Selley) beating Souter ends up and hitting the middle and leg stumps. Souter was out for four.
Banks Williams wasn’t finished. Seven runs later, he struck again – another straight delivery rearranging opener Sam Ashman’s stumps to leave Andover in a pickle at 30-6.
Banks Williams wasn’t the only teenage Sparsholt bowler to shine as 19-year old Tom Ley took 4-11, including opener Nathan Birks (bowled) and Matt Knight, caught behind by Josh May.
Andover, who are 17 points adrift of the nearest safety rung at the bottom of the table, were eventually dismissed for 84 – 25 of the runs coming in extras, mainly leg-side wides - Joshua Banks Williams taking 2-24 and Liam Doran and Dan Wier one each.
Chasing down the target was far from straight forward as Sparsholt lost seven wickets themselves, having been 49-5 at one stage, Richard Taylor taking 3-20 and Mike Adams 2-16.
Doran’s 16 was the highest individual score of the match and played a key role in Sparsholt’s success.
• Sparsholt’s scheduled Hampshire League match with Shrewton was cancelled due to eight members of the Wiltshire village team being isolated due to covid.
 Liam Doran bowls Andover skipper Matt Hooper ... |  .. Mike Adams nicks behind. |
Game over ! Josh Banks Williams clouts Charlie Ayers for the match winning four. Bob Selley pictures.
