Six-wicket Liam Shore Hambledon clinched promotion from Division 3 of the Southern Premier League - without a ball being bowled.
For the second week running their opponents cancelled the fixture; after Hythe & Dibden blamed the pandemic and covid self-isolation for not playing on August 14, relegated Tichborne Park were unable to raise a team at the weekend.
Such an excuse is virtually unheard of at Southern Premier League level, and Tichborne’s 2nd XI did fulfil a Hampshire League fixture (albeit in Division 6 North East) on the same day.
Hambledon have now had seven of their scheduled 17 SPL games cancelled this season - mainly due to bad weather.
They have won nine of the 10 matches that have been completed, though, and will be crowned champions if they pick up three points in their final fixture against Basingstoke & North Hants 2nds at May’s Bounty tomorrow.
Whilst these two postponements have not affected Hambledon's title surge, they have denied Henry Glanfield the opportunity of presenting a stiffer challenge to Langley Manor's Jack Budd for the SPL3 batting prize. The pair are arguably the two best bats in SPL3, but Budd (681 runs) has been able to play three more games than Glanfield (501). That's the way the cookie has crumbled.
Hook & Newnham Basics seconds are also definitely up alongside the Dons after victory over lowly Purbrook.
Purbrook’s seven-wicket loss sees them now requiring a last-day win against Gosport Borough to preserve their SPL status and avoid the drop into the Hampshire League.
If they were to lose to Borough, Hythe & Dibden would leap out of the drop zone and above Purbrook if they beat already doomed Tichborne Park at Jones Lane.
Purbrook’s chances of shocking Hook 2nds were dashed by left-arm quick Liam Shore, who claimed a career best 6-24 - all the victims being top seven batsmen - as the visitors were dismissed for 132.
They had slipped to 75-7 before Dave Cleeve (45) and Aaron Dean (9) added 50 for the eighth wicket. Josh McCoy (24) was next highest before he became one of the five victims bowled by Shore.
Opener Matt Love (54 not out) underpinned Hook’s seven-wicket success, with Jordan Hobday (26) and Tom May (24) chipping in.
Portsmouth & Southsea moved above Gosport Borough into third place after trouncing them by eight wickets at Privett Park.
Craig Stares top scored for the hosts with 60 - his highest score since 2016 - as Gosport were restricted to 146-8 (Matt Williams 4-26) after being inserted. Due to rain, P & S were asked to chase a revised target of 133 in 34 overs, which proved no problem at all, with the winning run coming in the 28th over.
Chris Bollom (31) and Matt Benfield (30) put on 67 for the first wicket before Jack Davies (32 not out) and Tom Benfield (28 not out) shared an unbroken third wicket partnership of 60. Davies cracked three sixes and two fours in his 25-ball innings. P & S will finish third if they beat Langley Manor in their final game.
Relegation threatened Hythe & Dibden were thrashed by nine wickets by Trojans, who bowled them out for 134 (Will McKay 55, Matt Young 34) and coasted home on the back of Ed Boyd's 68 not out.
Jack Budd, meanwhile, clinched the SPL3 batting prize by scoring an unbeaten 81 as Langley Manor beat a depleted Basingstoke & North Hants II by nine wickets.
Veteran Leon Nurse (at 69 is he the oldest SPL player ?) was among the players called up by Basingstoke, who were dismissed for 140, with Scott Dyer (37) and teenager Matt Griffiths (35) picking up the pieces after Simon Peters (3-16) had helped reduce the visitors to 56-6.
Among Peters' victims was the promising Ben Bissoon, who reckons he may have taken the wrong off-stump guard before being trapped leg before. But his day will surely come ...
Spin ace Nick Doubell weighed in with 3-18 before Jack Budd, son of tutor/mentor Rob, took centre stage with two sixes and 11 four in a richly entertaining and award clinching 81 not out. He shared a 96-run start with Conor Browne (47).
For the second week running their opponents cancelled the fixture; after Hythe & Dibden blamed the pandemic and covid self-isolation for not playing on August 14, relegated Tichborne Park were unable to raise a team at the weekend.
Such an excuse is virtually unheard of at Southern Premier League level, and Tichborne’s 2nd XI did fulfil a Hampshire League fixture (albeit in Division 6 North East) on the same day.
Hambledon have now had seven of their scheduled 17 SPL games cancelled this season - mainly due to bad weather.
They have won nine of the 10 matches that have been completed, though, and will be crowned champions if they pick up three points in their final fixture against Basingstoke & North Hants 2nds at May’s Bounty tomorrow.
Whilst these two postponements have not affected Hambledon's title surge, they have denied Henry Glanfield the opportunity of presenting a stiffer challenge to Langley Manor's Jack Budd for the SPL3 batting prize. The pair are arguably the two best bats in SPL3, but Budd (681 runs) has been able to play three more games than Glanfield (501). That's the way the cookie has crumbled.
Hook & Newnham Basics seconds are also definitely up alongside the Dons after victory over lowly Purbrook.
Purbrook’s seven-wicket loss sees them now requiring a last-day win against Gosport Borough to preserve their SPL status and avoid the drop into the Hampshire League.
If they were to lose to Borough, Hythe & Dibden would leap out of the drop zone and above Purbrook if they beat already doomed Tichborne Park at Jones Lane.
Purbrook’s chances of shocking Hook 2nds were dashed by left-arm quick Liam Shore, who claimed a career best 6-24 - all the victims being top seven batsmen - as the visitors were dismissed for 132.
They had slipped to 75-7 before Dave Cleeve (45) and Aaron Dean (9) added 50 for the eighth wicket. Josh McCoy (24) was next highest before he became one of the five victims bowled by Shore.
Opener Matt Love (54 not out) underpinned Hook’s seven-wicket success, with Jordan Hobday (26) and Tom May (24) chipping in.
Portsmouth & Southsea moved above Gosport Borough into third place after trouncing them by eight wickets at Privett Park.
Craig Stares top scored for the hosts with 60 - his highest score since 2016 - as Gosport were restricted to 146-8 (Matt Williams 4-26) after being inserted. Due to rain, P & S were asked to chase a revised target of 133 in 34 overs, which proved no problem at all, with the winning run coming in the 28th over.
Chris Bollom (31) and Matt Benfield (30) put on 67 for the first wicket before Jack Davies (32 not out) and Tom Benfield (28 not out) shared an unbroken third wicket partnership of 60. Davies cracked three sixes and two fours in his 25-ball innings. P & S will finish third if they beat Langley Manor in their final game.
Relegation threatened Hythe & Dibden were thrashed by nine wickets by Trojans, who bowled them out for 134 (Will McKay 55, Matt Young 34) and coasted home on the back of Ed Boyd's 68 not out.
Jack Budd, meanwhile, clinched the SPL3 batting prize by scoring an unbeaten 81 as Langley Manor beat a depleted Basingstoke & North Hants II by nine wickets.
Veteran Leon Nurse (at 69 is he the oldest SPL player ?) was among the players called up by Basingstoke, who were dismissed for 140, with Scott Dyer (37) and teenager Matt Griffiths (35) picking up the pieces after Simon Peters (3-16) had helped reduce the visitors to 56-6.
Among Peters' victims was the promising Ben Bissoon, who reckons he may have taken the wrong off-stump guard before being trapped leg before. But his day will surely come ...
Spin ace Nick Doubell weighed in with 3-18 before Jack Budd, son of tutor/mentor Rob, took centre stage with two sixes and 11 four in a richly entertaining and award clinching 81 not out. He shared a 96-run start with Conor Browne (47).
Jack Budd, the Southern Premier League's 2021 leading run scorer.
