Bothwell Chapungu produced a stunning all-round performance, following up a half-century with a five-wicket haul, as promoted Totton & Eling stunned St Cross Symondians with a 44-run victory at the Green Jackets Ground.
It was Totton’s second consecutive ECB Southern Premier Division win, following on from their opening day three-wicket success against Burridge.
The outcome was in the balance with Harry Trussler and Jack Bransgrove going well and St Cross 121-3 chasing Totton’s 234-9, but the canny Chapungu dismissed them both to point the game in the visitors’ favour.
Chapungu (59) and former Berkshire Minor Counties cricketer Harry Stephens (51) set things up nicely for Totton with a century opening stand, which Conor Griffiths (26) and later James Taylor (43) enhanced.
St Cross Symondians hadn’t looked so clinical in the field as they were at South Wilts a week earlier and when Solent University all-rounder Jaidel Richardson (3-37) made early inroads they were on the back foot, and even more so when Charlie Gwynn fell cheaply.
But a 76-run stand between Harry Trussler (62) and Jack Bransgrove (59) put St Cross back in the game.
Cue Chapungu to reveal a second string to his bow – that of a wicket taking bowler !
The 34-year old Zimbabwean, who played Pro50 cricket in his native homeland for Rhinos as recently as February 2019, probably wouldn’t consider off-spin bowling to be his strongest suit.
But he had both Trussler and Bransgrove caught in the deep by Ethan Taylor to leave St Cross 159-5 and then took two more. The last five wickets fell for 31 runs, Brighton Mugochi taking 2-36.
The half-century and five-wicket haul has won Chapungu the Cricketer of the Week award for round two.
It was Totton’s second consecutive ECB Southern Premier Division win, following on from their opening day three-wicket success against Burridge.
The outcome was in the balance with Harry Trussler and Jack Bransgrove going well and St Cross 121-3 chasing Totton’s 234-9, but the canny Chapungu dismissed them both to point the game in the visitors’ favour.
Chapungu (59) and former Berkshire Minor Counties cricketer Harry Stephens (51) set things up nicely for Totton with a century opening stand, which Conor Griffiths (26) and later James Taylor (43) enhanced.
St Cross Symondians hadn’t looked so clinical in the field as they were at South Wilts a week earlier and when Solent University all-rounder Jaidel Richardson (3-37) made early inroads they were on the back foot, and even more so when Charlie Gwynn fell cheaply.
But a 76-run stand between Harry Trussler (62) and Jack Bransgrove (59) put St Cross back in the game.
Cue Chapungu to reveal a second string to his bow – that of a wicket taking bowler !
The 34-year old Zimbabwean, who played Pro50 cricket in his native homeland for Rhinos as recently as February 2019, probably wouldn’t consider off-spin bowling to be his strongest suit.
But he had both Trussler and Bransgrove caught in the deep by Ethan Taylor to leave St Cross 159-5 and then took two more. The last five wickets fell for 31 runs, Brighton Mugochi taking 2-36.
The half-century and five-wicket haul has won Chapungu the Cricketer of the Week award for round two.