 Dave Banks powers one of his 12 fours on his way to a match winning 120, his highest SPCL score since 2011. Right, spinner Liam Doran, pictured in Hook & Newnham Basics guise. |  |
It’s not all over yet – far from it, in fact !
That’s the message Josh Buckingham has drummed into his Hook & Newnham Basics team-mates after a six-wicket hammering at Sparsholt – a result that has trimmed Hook’s lead to 31 points at the top of Southern Premier League Division 1, with four matches to go.
Dave Banks, with 120, and Hook raised Liam Doran (5-64), his second SPL five-fer, led second placed Sparsholt to victory as Hook found themselves unable to defend 237 at the compact Norman Edwards Ground.
Portsmouth’s defeat at Andover did, however, soften the blow, though Buckingham’s troops can ill afford another slip if Keith Lovelock is to be filling the Division 1 trophy with champagne come August 31.
Hook, 46 points clear of Sparsholt at start of play, will have been disappointed to have allowed the initiative to slip from their grasp on the back of Richard Willcock (40) and Dan Moore (65), who eased them to 144-1.
But that’s when the innings changed course, with three wickets falling at 150 and Hook never really getting the momentum back. Doran, a past private in Hook Army cadet force, removed both top scorers before sending Matt Buckingham (28), Kieran Thompson and Martin James (21) back to the Locks Lane pavilion.
Bowling in tandem with Jeremy Frith (3-34), Doran sent Hook tumbling to 237 all out.
Sparsholt did make the best start, losing Michael Haworth and Sam O’Brien to James (3-50), but it was a long while before Hook enjoyed any further success.
Banks, with two sixes and 12 fours, led the way in a thumping 198-run partnership with Frith, whose unbeaten 74 proved the perfect foil.
Hook did manage to glean two bowling bonus points by eventually dismissing Banks and a consolation in Doran, but Sparsholt were home and hosed with seven overs to go.
Portsmouth’s title challenge took a knock when unpredictable Andover chased down 242-9 to beat them by three wickets at London Road.
Such an outcome appeared unlikely when Ben Duggan (75) and Jack Marston (71) shared a 136-run opening partnership, but the innings lost its shape after a three-wicket spin spell by Charlie Ayers (3-37) and Glyn Treagus removed the left-handed Duggan. Mike Adams weighed in with a late 3-37.
When Andover stumbled to 143-6, a home win appeared unlikely, but the Lions found two unlikely heroes in Nathan Birks and Babu Veettil, who pulled the game around with a 75-run seventh-wicket partnership.
Birks had never previously made a league fifty but his unbeaten 75 won the day for Andover, while Veettil, always dangerous with the long handle, smacked 49 before falling at 229-7.
There was still a bit of work to be done, but Richard Taylor made a timely 16 not out to get Andover across the line with 11 balls to spare.
That’s the message Josh Buckingham has drummed into his Hook & Newnham Basics team-mates after a six-wicket hammering at Sparsholt – a result that has trimmed Hook’s lead to 31 points at the top of Southern Premier League Division 1, with four matches to go.
Dave Banks, with 120, and Hook raised Liam Doran (5-64), his second SPL five-fer, led second placed Sparsholt to victory as Hook found themselves unable to defend 237 at the compact Norman Edwards Ground.
Portsmouth’s defeat at Andover did, however, soften the blow, though Buckingham’s troops can ill afford another slip if Keith Lovelock is to be filling the Division 1 trophy with champagne come August 31.
Hook, 46 points clear of Sparsholt at start of play, will have been disappointed to have allowed the initiative to slip from their grasp on the back of Richard Willcock (40) and Dan Moore (65), who eased them to 144-1.
But that’s when the innings changed course, with three wickets falling at 150 and Hook never really getting the momentum back. Doran, a past private in Hook Army cadet force, removed both top scorers before sending Matt Buckingham (28), Kieran Thompson and Martin James (21) back to the Locks Lane pavilion.
Bowling in tandem with Jeremy Frith (3-34), Doran sent Hook tumbling to 237 all out.
Sparsholt did make the best start, losing Michael Haworth and Sam O’Brien to James (3-50), but it was a long while before Hook enjoyed any further success.
Banks, with two sixes and 12 fours, led the way in a thumping 198-run partnership with Frith, whose unbeaten 74 proved the perfect foil.
Hook did manage to glean two bowling bonus points by eventually dismissing Banks and a consolation in Doran, but Sparsholt were home and hosed with seven overs to go.
Portsmouth’s title challenge took a knock when unpredictable Andover chased down 242-9 to beat them by three wickets at London Road.
Such an outcome appeared unlikely when Ben Duggan (75) and Jack Marston (71) shared a 136-run opening partnership, but the innings lost its shape after a three-wicket spin spell by Charlie Ayers (3-37) and Glyn Treagus removed the left-handed Duggan. Mike Adams weighed in with a late 3-37.
When Andover stumbled to 143-6, a home win appeared unlikely, but the Lions found two unlikely heroes in Nathan Birks and Babu Veettil, who pulled the game around with a 75-run seventh-wicket partnership.
Birks had never previously made a league fifty but his unbeaten 75 won the day for Andover, while Veettil, always dangerous with the long handle, smacked 49 before falling at 229-7.
There was still a bit of work to be done, but Richard Taylor made a timely 16 not out to get Andover across the line with 11 balls to spare.
