Portsmouth's Ben Duggan 'walked' after feathering catch [Roy Honeybone]
Unbeaten leaders Hook & Newnham Basics clung on to squeeze a three-run victory out of a Southern Premier League Division One thriller against Portsmouth at King George V.
Nine wickets down, Portsmouth needed a boundary off the last ball to squeeze past Hook’s competitive 244-7.
But Paul Hungerford was unable to make contact and Portsmouth finished an agonising three runs short on 241-9.
Hook’s total had been built around skipper Matt Love (55) and Matt Buckingham (68), with youngster Alex Brown (34) weighing in after Portsmouth Grammar School captain Joe Kooner-Evans (4-44) had made a mark with his best SPL figures.
A key moment in the evening session came with Portsmouth going nicely on 171-3 (Jack Marston 25) and Duggan a healthy 75 not out.
But with the island teenager looking set for a century, Duggan went to sweep Hook left-arm spinner Rhodes Franklin (3-47).
He appeared to feather the ball off the back of his bat to Matt Buckingham.
Despite the umpire being uncertain about what had actually happened, Duggan paused for a moment before ‘walking’ – much to the surprise of the Hook fielders, who grabbed an unexpected fourth wicket.
Umpire Tim May said: “It was so refreshing, an absolutely outstanding piece of cricket.
“Ben was applauded off by the home supporters who knew he’d walked.”
Asad Abbas put bat to ball with a breezy 35 and with support from the late middle-order set up a thrilling finish.
Portsmouth needed ten off the final over and four off the final ball but couldn't quite get themselves over the winning line.
Hungerford had edged the penultimate ball of Ben Peart’s over to the boundary to take the game to the final ball.
Hook enjoy a nine-point lead over Bournemouth, who piled up 233-7 before dismissing Ventnor for 116 to celebrate a 117-run victory.
Opener Nick Park (86) underpinned the Bournemouth total, which got a significant late boost from a half-century by Simon Woodruff (55).
Ventnor lost wickets all the way down the line, Chris Russell (26) and Rob Snell (21) top scoring against the prying left-arm spin of Robbie Pack (4-26 and Dom Clutterbuck (2-30).
Sarisbury Athletic lost seven wickets for 62 runs chasing Calmore Sports’ 147 and ended up 25-run losers against the defending champions.
They were looking good for the Loperwood Park visitors after Ricky Rawlins (40) and Sam Floyd guided them to 62 without loss.
But when James Rose broke the stand, Sarisbury promptly lost three wickets for four runs, two of them to James Manning (3-18).
Spinner Rose (5-44) continued to make inroads, with the last three wickets falling for five runs and Sarisbury to 122 all out.
Calmore’s earlier 147 owed much to the patience of Matt Hardy (79), who held the innings together while Jordan Wright (4-20) reduced the title holders to 53-4.
The tall, upright Hardy batted through until the nagging Phil Jewell (3-13) got him at 133-6, Matt Taylor (29) adding useful runs during what proved an important partnership.
Promoted Old Tauntonians and Romsey recorded their first SPL1 win of the season by three wickets over Liphook & Romsey, who lost the toss, saw Rob Nicklin run out without facing a ball and mainstay Harry Munt caught with only three runs on the board.
The visitors never recovered, with wickets given away, other than admirable Ryan Covey’s 123 minute sojourn for 39.
As soon as the opener departed, however, only Sean Burton’s late 22 registered any resistance, Liphook slumping to 109 all out.
Remarkably, young Harry Tulk bagged five catches in the ring, including key man Covey. Peter Newman (3-13) and Jody Brown (3-8) shared six wickets.
Slow scoring continued to be the order of the day as Liphook forced the determined Romsey side to grind out runs: Sean Burton completing his ten overs for just five runs.
Wickets fell steadily until it was left to skipper Jody Brown, with an undefeated 22, to see his relieved side through at 110-7.
Andover’s scheduled home match against Hartley Wintney was cancelled after their London Road ground failed to recover from heavy midweek rain.
Nine wickets down, Portsmouth needed a boundary off the last ball to squeeze past Hook’s competitive 244-7.
But Paul Hungerford was unable to make contact and Portsmouth finished an agonising three runs short on 241-9.
Hook’s total had been built around skipper Matt Love (55) and Matt Buckingham (68), with youngster Alex Brown (34) weighing in after Portsmouth Grammar School captain Joe Kooner-Evans (4-44) had made a mark with his best SPL figures.
A key moment in the evening session came with Portsmouth going nicely on 171-3 (Jack Marston 25) and Duggan a healthy 75 not out.
But with the island teenager looking set for a century, Duggan went to sweep Hook left-arm spinner Rhodes Franklin (3-47).
He appeared to feather the ball off the back of his bat to Matt Buckingham.
Despite the umpire being uncertain about what had actually happened, Duggan paused for a moment before ‘walking’ – much to the surprise of the Hook fielders, who grabbed an unexpected fourth wicket.
Umpire Tim May said: “It was so refreshing, an absolutely outstanding piece of cricket.
“Ben was applauded off by the home supporters who knew he’d walked.”
Asad Abbas put bat to ball with a breezy 35 and with support from the late middle-order set up a thrilling finish.
Portsmouth needed ten off the final over and four off the final ball but couldn't quite get themselves over the winning line.
Hungerford had edged the penultimate ball of Ben Peart’s over to the boundary to take the game to the final ball.
Hook enjoy a nine-point lead over Bournemouth, who piled up 233-7 before dismissing Ventnor for 116 to celebrate a 117-run victory.
Opener Nick Park (86) underpinned the Bournemouth total, which got a significant late boost from a half-century by Simon Woodruff (55).
Ventnor lost wickets all the way down the line, Chris Russell (26) and Rob Snell (21) top scoring against the prying left-arm spin of Robbie Pack (4-26 and Dom Clutterbuck (2-30).
Sarisbury Athletic lost seven wickets for 62 runs chasing Calmore Sports’ 147 and ended up 25-run losers against the defending champions.
They were looking good for the Loperwood Park visitors after Ricky Rawlins (40) and Sam Floyd guided them to 62 without loss.
But when James Rose broke the stand, Sarisbury promptly lost three wickets for four runs, two of them to James Manning (3-18).
Spinner Rose (5-44) continued to make inroads, with the last three wickets falling for five runs and Sarisbury to 122 all out.
Calmore’s earlier 147 owed much to the patience of Matt Hardy (79), who held the innings together while Jordan Wright (4-20) reduced the title holders to 53-4.
The tall, upright Hardy batted through until the nagging Phil Jewell (3-13) got him at 133-6, Matt Taylor (29) adding useful runs during what proved an important partnership.
Promoted Old Tauntonians and Romsey recorded their first SPL1 win of the season by three wickets over Liphook & Romsey, who lost the toss, saw Rob Nicklin run out without facing a ball and mainstay Harry Munt caught with only three runs on the board.
The visitors never recovered, with wickets given away, other than admirable Ryan Covey’s 123 minute sojourn for 39.
As soon as the opener departed, however, only Sean Burton’s late 22 registered any resistance, Liphook slumping to 109 all out.
Remarkably, young Harry Tulk bagged five catches in the ring, including key man Covey. Peter Newman (3-13) and Jody Brown (3-8) shared six wickets.
Slow scoring continued to be the order of the day as Liphook forced the determined Romsey side to grind out runs: Sean Burton completing his ten overs for just five runs.
Wickets fell steadily until it was left to skipper Jody Brown, with an undefeated 22, to see his relieved side through at 110-7.
Andover’s scheduled home match against Hartley Wintney was cancelled after their London Road ground failed to recover from heavy midweek rain.
