BASINGSTOKE and North Hants are finally off the mark, as they enjoyed their first victory of the season, beating reigning ECB Southern Premier Division champions St Cross Symondians by 36 runs.
They immediately dedicated the victory to Pete Margesson, their retired scorer from the club’s Home Counties/Thames Valley League days, who died recently.
Basingstoke’s win owed much to South African Brad Porteous (pictured), Joe Oates and David Griffiths, who shone with bat and ball.
Porteous (66), who plays provincial cricket for KZ Natal, held Basingstoke together at 43-3 after fellow South African Marvin Williams, from the Western Province club Claremont, had created initial inroads.
His 75-run stand with Mitch Stokes (42) took the score into three figures, but two wickets for Harry Came put Basingstoke back in trouble at 134-7, the Durban all-rounder departing after hitting two sixes and eight fours..
That left Joe Oates (43) and David Griffiths (37) to dig them out of it, adding a crucial 91 to lift Basingstoke to 229-9.
Set 230 to win in 56 overs, St Cross did not start well, with Hampshire prospect Harry Came (2) caught and Billy Mead trapped leg before by Stokes.
St Cross hit back with half-centuries by Felix Organ (50) and Max Curtis (50) moving the score to 91, when former Tichborne Park man Tom Allam had Organ caught behind by Lawrence Benge.
But St Cross continued to build some good partnerships and at 175-5 they looked on course for victory. However, this was all to change as Griffiths returned to the attack and coming down the May’s Bounty slope clean bowled Harry Foyle, then Matt Haworth next ball.
Josh Merluk fended off the hat-trick ball, but when he was bowled by Griffiths, at 175-7, the game was now very much in the balance.
It soon became 185-8 as Thane took a smart catch in the slips from a Porteous ball to remove the dangerous Tom Foyle (38).
The last pair were left to try and bat out the final eight overs for a draw, but their hopes were dashed as Stokes had Marvin Williams trapped leg before as St Cross were bowled out for 193.
A delighted skipper Ben Thane (who has taken over the Basingstoke & North Hants captaincy from Mitch Stokes) said: “It is great to get our first win of the season and against the reigning champions, who are a good side.”
“Dan Belcher did well to see off the new ball and Brad Porteous top scored, but at 134-7 we looked in trouble, but thanks to Griff (David Griffiths) and Joe Oates we ended up with 229.
“I would always back us to beat any side if we score 200 and we did that today, so I am really pleased.”
They immediately dedicated the victory to Pete Margesson, their retired scorer from the club’s Home Counties/Thames Valley League days, who died recently.
Basingstoke’s win owed much to South African Brad Porteous (pictured), Joe Oates and David Griffiths, who shone with bat and ball.
Porteous (66), who plays provincial cricket for KZ Natal, held Basingstoke together at 43-3 after fellow South African Marvin Williams, from the Western Province club Claremont, had created initial inroads.
His 75-run stand with Mitch Stokes (42) took the score into three figures, but two wickets for Harry Came put Basingstoke back in trouble at 134-7, the Durban all-rounder departing after hitting two sixes and eight fours..
That left Joe Oates (43) and David Griffiths (37) to dig them out of it, adding a crucial 91 to lift Basingstoke to 229-9.
Set 230 to win in 56 overs, St Cross did not start well, with Hampshire prospect Harry Came (2) caught and Billy Mead trapped leg before by Stokes.
St Cross hit back with half-centuries by Felix Organ (50) and Max Curtis (50) moving the score to 91, when former Tichborne Park man Tom Allam had Organ caught behind by Lawrence Benge.
But St Cross continued to build some good partnerships and at 175-5 they looked on course for victory. However, this was all to change as Griffiths returned to the attack and coming down the May’s Bounty slope clean bowled Harry Foyle, then Matt Haworth next ball.
Josh Merluk fended off the hat-trick ball, but when he was bowled by Griffiths, at 175-7, the game was now very much in the balance.
It soon became 185-8 as Thane took a smart catch in the slips from a Porteous ball to remove the dangerous Tom Foyle (38).
The last pair were left to try and bat out the final eight overs for a draw, but their hopes were dashed as Stokes had Marvin Williams trapped leg before as St Cross were bowled out for 193.
A delighted skipper Ben Thane (who has taken over the Basingstoke & North Hants captaincy from Mitch Stokes) said: “It is great to get our first win of the season and against the reigning champions, who are a good side.”
“Dan Belcher did well to see off the new ball and Brad Porteous top scored, but at 134-7 we looked in trouble, but thanks to Griff (David Griffiths) and Joe Oates we ended up with 229.
“I would always back us to beat any side if we score 200 and we did that today, so I am really pleased.”
