 Portsmouth & Southsea stars Chris Turrell (above) and Matt Benfield, right. The News. |  |
Chris Turrell and Matt Benfield starred as Portsmouth & Southsea reached the Southern Premier League’s Division 2/3 Grand Final.
They defeated Waterlooville by five wickets to pip Liphook & Ripsley to the East group title by just three points.
That was a superb effort considering that P & S are a SPL Division 3 side and some of their group rivals, including Waterlooville, would have been playing in a higher division in 2020 but for the pandemic.
P & S won all five of their completed group games, with the other two - including one against Liphook - rained off.
P & S will now host West group winners Bashley (Rydal) 2nds at St James’s Park, Locksway Road, on Saturday, 12.30
Turrell bagged four cheap wickets as Waterlooville were dismissed for 135 after the visitors elected to bat first. Benfield, pictured, continuing his fine form, then smacked a half-century as P & S collected a five-wicket victory.
Waterlooville were given a 56-run start by openers Namish Verma (28) and Archie Reynolds (25).
But after that only Max Goddard (24 off 17 balls) and Matt Shaw (14) reached double figures.
Turrell, the last of the six P & S bowlers used, bagged 4-16 off 7.5 overs as the visitors slithered from 110-4 to 135 all out.
Benfield and Jack Davies (16) put on 43 for the first Portsmouth wicket and the former ended up hitting 10 boundaries in his 80.
P & S only needed five runs for victory when he was eventually bowled by Ashan Silva.
Benfield has scored at least 23 runs in all his competitive league and cup games in 2020, topped by 136 against Purbrook in an East group encounter. He had started his delayed summer by hitting 62 in a friendly against Havant.
Silva took 3-13 off his seven overs but P & S still had seven overs and one ball left when they notched the winning runs.
They defeated Waterlooville by five wickets to pip Liphook & Ripsley to the East group title by just three points.
That was a superb effort considering that P & S are a SPL Division 3 side and some of their group rivals, including Waterlooville, would have been playing in a higher division in 2020 but for the pandemic.
P & S won all five of their completed group games, with the other two - including one against Liphook - rained off.
P & S will now host West group winners Bashley (Rydal) 2nds at St James’s Park, Locksway Road, on Saturday, 12.30
Turrell bagged four cheap wickets as Waterlooville were dismissed for 135 after the visitors elected to bat first. Benfield, pictured, continuing his fine form, then smacked a half-century as P & S collected a five-wicket victory.
Waterlooville were given a 56-run start by openers Namish Verma (28) and Archie Reynolds (25).
But after that only Max Goddard (24 off 17 balls) and Matt Shaw (14) reached double figures.
Turrell, the last of the six P & S bowlers used, bagged 4-16 off 7.5 overs as the visitors slithered from 110-4 to 135 all out.
Benfield and Jack Davies (16) put on 43 for the first Portsmouth wicket and the former ended up hitting 10 boundaries in his 80.
P & S only needed five runs for victory when he was eventually bowled by Ashan Silva.
Benfield has scored at least 23 runs in all his competitive league and cup games in 2020, topped by 136 against Purbrook in an East group encounter. He had started his delayed summer by hitting 62 in a friendly against Havant.
Silva took 3-13 off his seven overs but P & S still had seven overs and one ball left when they notched the winning runs.
George Neave was Liphook & Ripsley's match winner.
Liphook & Ripsley achieved their goal of taking maximum points off Hartley Wintney, but still finished short in second place. They beat the North Hampshire side by four wickets, with George Neave producing an overdue performance.
Neave (2-26) yorked Hampshire Academy prospect Harry Broderick with the first ball of the match - a blow from which Hartley never recovered as Charles Janczur (3-30) left the Cricket Field regulars groaning at the sight of 76-7 on the overhead electronic scoreboard. Anthony Parson (38) revived affairs, but a total of 134 is nigh impossible to defend on the Green.
Rob Nicklin (37) guided Liphook to 67-1, but a wobble saw three cheap wickets fall before Neave hit an unbeaten 39 to secure a four-wicket win at 140-6.
Neave (2-26) yorked Hampshire Academy prospect Harry Broderick with the first ball of the match - a blow from which Hartley never recovered as Charles Janczur (3-30) left the Cricket Field regulars groaning at the sight of 76-7 on the overhead electronic scoreboard. Anthony Parson (38) revived affairs, but a total of 134 is nigh impossible to defend on the Green.
Rob Nicklin (37) guided Liphook to 67-1, but a wobble saw three cheap wickets fall before Neave hit an unbeaten 39 to secure a four-wicket win at 140-6.
