Calmore Sports are back in pole position in the British Gas Southern League Division 1 title race – courtesy of relegation threatened Rowledge !
While Calmore were making heavy weather of knocking off 155 to beat Tichborne Park, Rowledge completed an unexpected double over Basingstoke & North Hants, the overnight joint leaders.
Their five-wicket win at May’s Bounty dumped Basingstoke down to third place and gave Calmore a 15-point lead at the top, with four games to go.
Bournemouth, washed out for a third successive week at Liphook & Ripsley, are now second – and host Basingstoke in a critical showdown at Chapel Gate this Saturday.
Calmore Sports had to dig themselves out of a hole before chiselling off the 155 they needed to beat Tichborne Park at Loperwood Park.
Taken by surprise by leg-spinner Ed Berry (3-30), they lurched to 10-3 before teenage left-hander Ben Johns (41) and Australian Jack Rutter (43) came to the rescue.
Tichborne continued to make inroads and had Calmore 122-7 before Tom Pegler (29 not out) and Liam Newton got their heads down to secure a vital victory.
Earlier, Tom Allam (60) top scored for Tichborne, with James Manning and Mark Lavelle sharing six wickets.
Tichborne Park, with only three wins, look near certainties to be relegated, but Rowledge are within four points of Portsmouth (their opponents on Saturday) after shocking Basingstoke.
They bowled the Bountymen out for 159 and chased down a weather-cut 132 in 34 overs, getting home with 16 balls to spare.
Basingstoke soon lost Dan Belcher, rallied through Mitch Stokes (33) and Chris Froud (30), but with Steve Martin (3-28) creating problems with his nagging seam and swing, the Bountymen dropped to 107-5.
David Lloyd (4-24), left above, created further inroads, including the scalp of Stokes, leaving Brad Neal (41) to help Basingstoke to 159 all out.
“Tight bowling, hardly any extras and waiting for Basingstoke to make mistakes was order of the day,” said triumphant Rowledge skipper Ben Wish.
The threat of a thunderstorm and some heavy drizzle which cut into the playing time, left Rowledge chasing a revised target, but at 32-4 and David Griffiths (3-25) on fire, they were in trouble.
But Rowledge hit back, with Sam Plater (25) making a key contribution before an unbroken stand between Lloyd (43) and Martin (35) got them across the line.
“The two experienced campaigners batted sensibly, rotating the strike and continuing to be positive to get home with 16 balls to spare,” Wish added.
Hook & Newnham Basics, who host Basingstoke on the final day of the season, still have a mathematical chance of winning the league.
But their match with Ventnor was washed out, with the islanders’ 52-1. It was Ventnor’s third successive rained out day.
While Calmore were making heavy weather of knocking off 155 to beat Tichborne Park, Rowledge completed an unexpected double over Basingstoke & North Hants, the overnight joint leaders.
Their five-wicket win at May’s Bounty dumped Basingstoke down to third place and gave Calmore a 15-point lead at the top, with four games to go.
Bournemouth, washed out for a third successive week at Liphook & Ripsley, are now second – and host Basingstoke in a critical showdown at Chapel Gate this Saturday.
Calmore Sports had to dig themselves out of a hole before chiselling off the 155 they needed to beat Tichborne Park at Loperwood Park.
Taken by surprise by leg-spinner Ed Berry (3-30), they lurched to 10-3 before teenage left-hander Ben Johns (41) and Australian Jack Rutter (43) came to the rescue.
Tichborne continued to make inroads and had Calmore 122-7 before Tom Pegler (29 not out) and Liam Newton got their heads down to secure a vital victory.
Earlier, Tom Allam (60) top scored for Tichborne, with James Manning and Mark Lavelle sharing six wickets.
Tichborne Park, with only three wins, look near certainties to be relegated, but Rowledge are within four points of Portsmouth (their opponents on Saturday) after shocking Basingstoke.
They bowled the Bountymen out for 159 and chased down a weather-cut 132 in 34 overs, getting home with 16 balls to spare.
Basingstoke soon lost Dan Belcher, rallied through Mitch Stokes (33) and Chris Froud (30), but with Steve Martin (3-28) creating problems with his nagging seam and swing, the Bountymen dropped to 107-5.
David Lloyd (4-24), left above, created further inroads, including the scalp of Stokes, leaving Brad Neal (41) to help Basingstoke to 159 all out.
“Tight bowling, hardly any extras and waiting for Basingstoke to make mistakes was order of the day,” said triumphant Rowledge skipper Ben Wish.
The threat of a thunderstorm and some heavy drizzle which cut into the playing time, left Rowledge chasing a revised target, but at 32-4 and David Griffiths (3-25) on fire, they were in trouble.
But Rowledge hit back, with Sam Plater (25) making a key contribution before an unbroken stand between Lloyd (43) and Martin (35) got them across the line.
“The two experienced campaigners batted sensibly, rotating the strike and continuing to be positive to get home with 16 balls to spare,” Wish added.
Hook & Newnham Basics, who host Basingstoke on the final day of the season, still have a mathematical chance of winning the league.
But their match with Ventnor was washed out, with the islanders’ 52-1. It was Ventnor’s third successive rained out day.