Joe Eckland plays crisply off his legs : Roy Honeybone.
South Wilts suffered an agonising two-wicket defeat by the Hampshire Academy after having an ECB Southern Premier Division victory over the county teenagers within their grasp.
Defending 219-9, they had the Academy eight wickets down for 122 – but an outstanding unbeaten century by England Under-19 starlet Joseph Eckland turned the match on its head.
Eckland, who has made nine England YC appearances, celebrated his 19th birthday with an unbeaten 104 and with 16-year old Verwood-based spinner Zack Basey as his ninth-wicket partner, scored the bulk of the next 98 runs that took the Academy to an improbable victory.
He offered up only one chance three overs from the end when Tom Grant failed to hold on to a stooping catch at mid-off. They were ten runs shy of the target at the time.
Soundly beaten by St Cross Symondians a week earlier, South Wilts were desperately disappointed to have lost a second consecutive match, but a lack of experience, coupled with a top Eckland innings, decided otherwise.
South Wilts were in a good position at several stages, having begun well through James Degg (37) and Jack Stearman (25) only to lose four wickets for 15 runs, Ethan Baker (4-23) inflicting the damage in an impressive ten-over spell of leg-spin bowling.
Jack Mynott (37) steadied the ship, but South Wilts were up against it again at 119-5 and shortly after 131-6.
Defending 219-9, they had the Academy eight wickets down for 122 – but an outstanding unbeaten century by England Under-19 starlet Joseph Eckland turned the match on its head.
Eckland, who has made nine England YC appearances, celebrated his 19th birthday with an unbeaten 104 and with 16-year old Verwood-based spinner Zack Basey as his ninth-wicket partner, scored the bulk of the next 98 runs that took the Academy to an improbable victory.
He offered up only one chance three overs from the end when Tom Grant failed to hold on to a stooping catch at mid-off. They were ten runs shy of the target at the time.
Soundly beaten by St Cross Symondians a week earlier, South Wilts were desperately disappointed to have lost a second consecutive match, but a lack of experience, coupled with a top Eckland innings, decided otherwise.
South Wilts were in a good position at several stages, having begun well through James Degg (37) and Jack Stearman (25) only to lose four wickets for 15 runs, Ethan Baker (4-23) inflicting the damage in an impressive ten-over spell of leg-spin bowling.
Jack Mynott (37) steadied the ship, but South Wilts were up against it again at 119-5 and shortly after 131-6.
Mo Rizvi launched South Wilts recovery
Seventh wicket pair, newcomer Mo Rizvi (42) and Archie Fairfax-Ross (33) added a vital 51 to steer South Wilts to 219-9 (Eddie Jack 2-38).
The Academy adopted a bazball approach to their batting and had 50 runs on the board inside six overs.
Tom Cheater set the tone with nine fours in his 40-ball 56, but generally the Academy batting bordered on reckless, with Ben Draper pocketing three catches off Matt Burton (5-35) as the reply faltered at 103-6 (off 16 overs) and worsened at 122-8.
“We arguably went at it too hard early on, but that’s the way we want to play in a positive manner and it didn’t come off this time,” Eckland said.
Eckland and Basey began their match swinging eighth wicket stand in the 24th over. There was plenty of time left in the game.
The pair used it to perfection. With little pressure, save keeping their wickets intact, they picked up runs at a leisurely pace – Eckland, farming the strike, picking off 12 boundaries and on three occasions lofting straight sixes onto the Wilton Road grass bank.
Square-cut
Basey wasn’t fazed at all. He’s in the middle of some stressful GCSE’s at Ringwood School, but his mind concentrated solely on staying with his captain.
He made only eight of the 98-run partnership, but the two boundaries he hit were exquisite shots, the first scorching through cover and the second, a roll of the wrists and a square-cut to behold.
Eckland continued: “When Zach came in we agreed I’d take around four balls of each over and hit a boundary or two to keep the scoreboard ticking.
“He batted extremely maturely for a young lad and those two boundary shots were superb. Zach did as much as I did to win us the game by giving me that key support.”
Draper rotated his bowlers, but there was little sniff of a breakthrough until Grant’s spill.
South Wilts’ heads went down. Eckland brought up his richly deserved hundred and then struck the winning boundary to conclude a quite remarkable final hour’s play ...
The Academy adopted a bazball approach to their batting and had 50 runs on the board inside six overs.
Tom Cheater set the tone with nine fours in his 40-ball 56, but generally the Academy batting bordered on reckless, with Ben Draper pocketing three catches off Matt Burton (5-35) as the reply faltered at 103-6 (off 16 overs) and worsened at 122-8.
“We arguably went at it too hard early on, but that’s the way we want to play in a positive manner and it didn’t come off this time,” Eckland said.
Eckland and Basey began their match swinging eighth wicket stand in the 24th over. There was plenty of time left in the game.
The pair used it to perfection. With little pressure, save keeping their wickets intact, they picked up runs at a leisurely pace – Eckland, farming the strike, picking off 12 boundaries and on three occasions lofting straight sixes onto the Wilton Road grass bank.
Square-cut
Basey wasn’t fazed at all. He’s in the middle of some stressful GCSE’s at Ringwood School, but his mind concentrated solely on staying with his captain.
He made only eight of the 98-run partnership, but the two boundaries he hit were exquisite shots, the first scorching through cover and the second, a roll of the wrists and a square-cut to behold.
Eckland continued: “When Zach came in we agreed I’d take around four balls of each over and hit a boundary or two to keep the scoreboard ticking.
“He batted extremely maturely for a young lad and those two boundary shots were superb. Zach did as much as I did to win us the game by giving me that key support.”
Draper rotated his bowlers, but there was little sniff of a breakthrough until Grant’s spill.
South Wilts’ heads went down. Eckland brought up his richly deserved hundred and then struck the winning boundary to conclude a quite remarkable final hour’s play ...
Academy heroes Zach Basey (left) and centurion Joseph Eckland, right.
