 Ben Johns, top scored in Calmore victory run chase. |  |
Calmore Sports and Old Tauntonians & Romsey have each won three of their last five Southern Premier League Division 2 matches – without so far being able to shake off the very real threat of relegation.
Survival Saturday lies ahead for the pair this weekend, with Calmore Sports probably favourites to stave off the drop.
They take a nine-point lead over OTs & Romsey into their home match with New Milton at Loperwood Park, while little more than six miles away OTs face the unenviable task of beating newly acclaimed champions Hook & Newnham Basics, who have won all bar two of their 15 matches this summer. Hook, though, may be tempted to bolster their second team in a final push for a Hampshire League County 1 promotion place.
Calmore had prominent former South Wilts all-rounder James Hibberd aiding their cause against Sarisbury Athletic – and he certainly did his bit towards achieving a notable eight-wicket win, taking 3-35 with ball and later scoring 49 not out in a comfortable run chase.
Sam Floyd (63) and Ricky Rawlins (58) underpinned Sarisbury’s 192, while Ben Johns bashed 63 of the first 83 Calmore needed before Matty Taylor (36) was joined by Hibberd for an unbroken 89-run stand that got the Totton club home with 14 balls to spare.
OTs & Romsey have simply got to beat Hook & Newnham Basics to stay up, otherwise its curtains.
They certainly piled on the runs at Fernhill, where an 88-run opening stand between KES all-rounder Jovan Dhariwal (pictured) (69) and Joe Vaughan (36) pointed the way towards a hefty 269-5.
Hampshire’s Chris Wood (49) and Charlie King (39) added more runs before Harry Tulk slapped four sixes in a breezy 40.
New Milton were 49-5 (Campbell Golding 31) before Ryan Beck whacked an unbeaten 106 to give their final 190-8 (Jody Brown 3-37) a creditable edge.
Survival Saturday lies ahead for the pair this weekend, with Calmore Sports probably favourites to stave off the drop.
They take a nine-point lead over OTs & Romsey into their home match with New Milton at Loperwood Park, while little more than six miles away OTs face the unenviable task of beating newly acclaimed champions Hook & Newnham Basics, who have won all bar two of their 15 matches this summer. Hook, though, may be tempted to bolster their second team in a final push for a Hampshire League County 1 promotion place.
Calmore had prominent former South Wilts all-rounder James Hibberd aiding their cause against Sarisbury Athletic – and he certainly did his bit towards achieving a notable eight-wicket win, taking 3-35 with ball and later scoring 49 not out in a comfortable run chase.
Sam Floyd (63) and Ricky Rawlins (58) underpinned Sarisbury’s 192, while Ben Johns bashed 63 of the first 83 Calmore needed before Matty Taylor (36) was joined by Hibberd for an unbroken 89-run stand that got the Totton club home with 14 balls to spare.
OTs & Romsey have simply got to beat Hook & Newnham Basics to stay up, otherwise its curtains.
They certainly piled on the runs at Fernhill, where an 88-run opening stand between KES all-rounder Jovan Dhariwal (pictured) (69) and Joe Vaughan (36) pointed the way towards a hefty 269-5.
Hampshire’s Chris Wood (49) and Charlie King (39) added more runs before Harry Tulk slapped four sixes in a breezy 40.
New Milton were 49-5 (Campbell Golding 31) before Ryan Beck whacked an unbeaten 106 to give their final 190-8 (Jody Brown 3-37) a creditable edge.
 Ryan Beck |  Charlie King, a weighty 39 for OTs & Romsey. |
