Conor Smith seven wickets in first two Premier Division outings [James Robinson]
Bournemouth will finish third in the ECB Southern Premier League if they win their final match of the season at Havant on Saturday.
They chalked up a ninth win in 14 outings, beating the Hampshire Academy by 40 runs in a Chapel Gate match trimmed to 48 overs per side due to a delayed start.
Once again, teenage left-arm spin prospect Conor Smith played a key role, taking 3-20, including the wickets of Wilf Fontaine-Jackson (40) and Harry Broderick (25), who were busily chipping the runs off Bournemouth’s 178-7.
Newly wed Dan Conway (4-26) took the first two Academy wickets, but it was undoubtedly Smith’s spell that turned the match.
The Young Hawks were progressing nicely at 91-2 on a testing surface when Smith - who took 4-42 on debut at Hook & Newnham Basics the previous week - struck a triple blow by bowling both batsmen and then catching Joe Eckland off the bowling of Robbie Pack (2-12).
Hampshire Academy quickly fell to 99-5 and later 138 all out, with Conway returning to pick up two tail-end wickets.
Earlier, Nick Park, with a patient 48, and Sam Collins (29) gave Bournemouth a sound start, before Luke Webb (31) ushered the 48-over score to 178-7.
They chalked up a ninth win in 14 outings, beating the Hampshire Academy by 40 runs in a Chapel Gate match trimmed to 48 overs per side due to a delayed start.
Once again, teenage left-arm spin prospect Conor Smith played a key role, taking 3-20, including the wickets of Wilf Fontaine-Jackson (40) and Harry Broderick (25), who were busily chipping the runs off Bournemouth’s 178-7.
Newly wed Dan Conway (4-26) took the first two Academy wickets, but it was undoubtedly Smith’s spell that turned the match.
The Young Hawks were progressing nicely at 91-2 on a testing surface when Smith - who took 4-42 on debut at Hook & Newnham Basics the previous week - struck a triple blow by bowling both batsmen and then catching Joe Eckland off the bowling of Robbie Pack (2-12).
Hampshire Academy quickly fell to 99-5 and later 138 all out, with Conway returning to pick up two tail-end wickets.
Earlier, Nick Park, with a patient 48, and Sam Collins (29) gave Bournemouth a sound start, before Luke Webb (31) ushered the 48-over score to 178-7.
