Liphook & Ripsley seem to have the Indian sign over Southern Premier Division 1 leaders Ventnor, whom they beat by three wickets with eight balls to spare in a Ripsley Park thriller.
They were the only team to beat Ventnor on the Isle of Wight last season – a result which later became significant when the Division 2 silverware was handed out.
The afternoon couldn’t have begun much better for Liphook, with Joe Randall having Sri Lankan Dineth Thimodya caught at mid-wicket for a third-ball duck. The ex-Rowledge seamer then had former Waterlooville man Namish Verma removed to leave Ventnor 20-2.
But experienced third wicket pair Rob Snell (69) and Martin Blackman frustrated the Liphook bowlers and saw off the new ball very well, producing some fine strokes as they both passed their half centuries.
The introduction of Liphook off break bowler Jamie Hall paid dividends as a telling delivery lured the left-handed Snell out of his crease and some fine glove work from Harry Munt did the rest. Hall picked up his second wicket with a catch in the deep but by now Ventnor had raced onto 196-4.
Some big hitting at the end from Blackman, who went on to score his maiden SPL century, and Ross Whyte got Ventnor to 259-4. Whyte smashed 35 off just 22 balls, while Blackman, who has been in good nick this season, finished with a splendid 118 not out, his first hundred in 20 years of Premier League cricket.
Trapped
Liphook also got off to the worst possible start as Rob Nicklin was bowled by Snell in the first over. Harry Munt joined Ryan Covey at the crease and these two saw off the new ball and then continued to score freely as the change bowlers came on. They got the score up to 85 before Munt (45) was trapped leg before by Charlie Calloway.
Covey and George Neave continued to rotate the strike and put away the bad ball, both players passing fifty and the game looked very much in the balance. Covey was eventually dismissed for 65 (157-3), but Hall and Neave got the score up to 200 and it looked like Liphook’s game to lose, but 201-3. It very quickly became 210-6 as Neave also fell for 65 and the batting collapse Liphook witnessed at Portsmouth the previous week looked like happening again.
Hall and Andy Barnes got the score to within 30 of the target but with only three overs left it looked like the game had gone for Liphook. Barnes thumped Thimodya for two big sixes in a 21-run 48th over, leaving the hosts only five runs to win off the remaining two overs.
The winning runs came from skipper Sean Burton, but the applause was for Barnes, whose dazzling knock of 36 from just 16 balls won the match.
They were the only team to beat Ventnor on the Isle of Wight last season – a result which later became significant when the Division 2 silverware was handed out.
The afternoon couldn’t have begun much better for Liphook, with Joe Randall having Sri Lankan Dineth Thimodya caught at mid-wicket for a third-ball duck. The ex-Rowledge seamer then had former Waterlooville man Namish Verma removed to leave Ventnor 20-2.
But experienced third wicket pair Rob Snell (69) and Martin Blackman frustrated the Liphook bowlers and saw off the new ball very well, producing some fine strokes as they both passed their half centuries.
The introduction of Liphook off break bowler Jamie Hall paid dividends as a telling delivery lured the left-handed Snell out of his crease and some fine glove work from Harry Munt did the rest. Hall picked up his second wicket with a catch in the deep but by now Ventnor had raced onto 196-4.
Some big hitting at the end from Blackman, who went on to score his maiden SPL century, and Ross Whyte got Ventnor to 259-4. Whyte smashed 35 off just 22 balls, while Blackman, who has been in good nick this season, finished with a splendid 118 not out, his first hundred in 20 years of Premier League cricket.
Trapped
Liphook also got off to the worst possible start as Rob Nicklin was bowled by Snell in the first over. Harry Munt joined Ryan Covey at the crease and these two saw off the new ball and then continued to score freely as the change bowlers came on. They got the score up to 85 before Munt (45) was trapped leg before by Charlie Calloway.
Covey and George Neave continued to rotate the strike and put away the bad ball, both players passing fifty and the game looked very much in the balance. Covey was eventually dismissed for 65 (157-3), but Hall and Neave got the score up to 200 and it looked like Liphook’s game to lose, but 201-3. It very quickly became 210-6 as Neave also fell for 65 and the batting collapse Liphook witnessed at Portsmouth the previous week looked like happening again.
Hall and Andy Barnes got the score to within 30 of the target but with only three overs left it looked like the game had gone for Liphook. Barnes thumped Thimodya for two big sixes in a 21-run 48th over, leaving the hosts only five runs to win off the remaining two overs.
The winning runs came from skipper Sean Burton, but the applause was for Barnes, whose dazzling knock of 36 from just 16 balls won the match.