Charlie Mumford [Roy Honeybone]
It's six out of six and a healthy 37 point lead for St Cross Symondians at the top of the Southern Premier Division - but there will be no trip to Lord's for the Winchester club in the ECB Royal London national championships.
The route to a prestigious final at the Home of Cricket was blocked by powerful West of England Premier League side Potterne, who beat St Cross by seven wickets in the regional final on Sunday.
St Cross gave it a decent crack, but defending a modest 235 at an idyllic but compact village ground in rural Wiltshire proved an impossible task, Potterne winning with 15 balls to spare.
The visitors' innings centred around Charlie Mumford (66) and Felix Organ (53) - both dismissed by former Hampshire second team all-rounder Basil Akram (4-42) - with Harry Foyle adding 33 not out and Sam Beer 23 late in the innings.
Potterne, competition semi-finalists last season, predictably knew their tiny ground well and, if pressed, would probably have chased down a far higher target.
It didn't take much effort to hit sixes - Potterne's batsmen clearing the boundary fence 12 times, compared with Symondians' six.
Jake Goodwin (74), who spent four embryo seasons at the Ageas Bowl while in his teens, got Potterne's reply off to a flier and added 121 with former Glamorgan cricketer Tom Cullen (45). He did enjoy one major escape when Sam Beer floored a skier.
St Cross stemmed the scoring when they nipped out the pair in the space of five balls in the 25th over, but Akram blasted an unbeaten and boundary strewn 50 off 28 balls. Teenager Josh Kelly made a perkey 36 not out to complete the formalities.
Recent WEPL champions, Potterne are a strong side and were worthy winners, but if there is a consolation in defeat it means St Cross Symondians won’t have to travel to Penzance in the next round !
The route to a prestigious final at the Home of Cricket was blocked by powerful West of England Premier League side Potterne, who beat St Cross by seven wickets in the regional final on Sunday.
St Cross gave it a decent crack, but defending a modest 235 at an idyllic but compact village ground in rural Wiltshire proved an impossible task, Potterne winning with 15 balls to spare.
The visitors' innings centred around Charlie Mumford (66) and Felix Organ (53) - both dismissed by former Hampshire second team all-rounder Basil Akram (4-42) - with Harry Foyle adding 33 not out and Sam Beer 23 late in the innings.
Potterne, competition semi-finalists last season, predictably knew their tiny ground well and, if pressed, would probably have chased down a far higher target.
It didn't take much effort to hit sixes - Potterne's batsmen clearing the boundary fence 12 times, compared with Symondians' six.
Jake Goodwin (74), who spent four embryo seasons at the Ageas Bowl while in his teens, got Potterne's reply off to a flier and added 121 with former Glamorgan cricketer Tom Cullen (45). He did enjoy one major escape when Sam Beer floored a skier.
St Cross stemmed the scoring when they nipped out the pair in the space of five balls in the 25th over, but Akram blasted an unbeaten and boundary strewn 50 off 28 balls. Teenager Josh Kelly made a perkey 36 not out to complete the formalities.
Recent WEPL champions, Potterne are a strong side and were worthy winners, but if there is a consolation in defeat it means St Cross Symondians won’t have to travel to Penzance in the next round !
Michael Booth, important 50 v Totton & Eling [Roy Honeybone]
St Cross were arguably not at their best against Totton & Eling in the SPL the previous day and needed a half-century from Michael Booth to get a winning total on the board.
All was well with Organ (76) and Joe Lewis (40) were together, but a positive 112-1 became 149-7 – six wickets falling to the spin of Brighton Mugochi and Harry Stevens (2-29) for the addition of a mere 37 runs.
Cue Booth, with two sixes and six fours, to reshape the latter stages of the St Cross, his eighth wicket stand with 79 being invaluable. Mugochi finished with superb figures of 7-40 off 16 overs and St Cross with an enhanced 235 all out on the board.
Beer (2-15) and Booth had Totton rocking at 15-3. The visitors lost wickets regularly after that, only Mugochi (41) and South African Josh Elliott (29) making a mark against spin duo Charlie Gwynn (5-67) and Organ. They were bowled out for 167.
All was well with Organ (76) and Joe Lewis (40) were together, but a positive 112-1 became 149-7 – six wickets falling to the spin of Brighton Mugochi and Harry Stevens (2-29) for the addition of a mere 37 runs.
Cue Booth, with two sixes and six fours, to reshape the latter stages of the St Cross, his eighth wicket stand with 79 being invaluable. Mugochi finished with superb figures of 7-40 off 16 overs and St Cross with an enhanced 235 all out on the board.
Beer (2-15) and Booth had Totton rocking at 15-3. The visitors lost wickets regularly after that, only Mugochi (41) and South African Josh Elliott (29) making a mark against spin duo Charlie Gwynn (5-67) and Organ. They were bowled out for 167.
Brighton Mugochi starred for Totton & Eling
