A century eighth-wicket partnership between Andrew Ireland and Chris Sanders put promotion chasing Sarisbury Athletic firmly in the box seat and set up a 152-run victory over relegation haunted Hartley Wintney at Allotment Road.
Ireland hit 72 and Sanders an unbeaten 56 to push Sarisbury to 308-9. Hartley were dismissed for 156.
Sarisbury were headed for a big score once Ricky Rawlins (56) and Dan Clouting (33) shared an opening stand of 89.
Three wicket spells by Danny Plume (3-45) and Jamie Teale (3-41) curbed Sarisbury’s progress and HW were back in the game at 165-7.
But it can be a dog’s life when you’re bottom of the table – and sure enough the entry of a pedigree Hungarian canine (owned by an embarrassed Sarisbury Athletic team manager Jon Floyd) on to the outfield caused some mayhem as Danny Nightingale’s bid to stop a four was thwarted by the pooch. Who should have struck the ball and be denied a four : Floyd's son, Sam !
[Question: what decision did the umpires make when the dog interrupted play ? Did they award 5 runs, or .. ? One for our panel umpires to debate !!]
The ball prised away from the sharp teeth of Jon Floyd’s dog, Sarisbury continued with an eighth-wicket stand which swung the match around.
Facing a second consecutive 300-plus run deficit, Hartley dropped away with only Jonny Rowland (55) making a real impact as Phil Jewell (4-27) and Tom Nightingale (3-23) reduced them from 89-2 to 156 all out.
Five successive defeats, the latest by 46 runs by Portsmouth on Southsea seafront, has the alarm bells ringing at Ventnor, who lie second from bottom.
Tom Friend did his bit with a 4-44 return with the ball and a quick-fire 40 with the bat.
But Portsmouth’s 208, built around Ben Duggan (41) and skipper Jack Marston (45), proved too many as Ventnor tumbled from 58-1 to 100-8 before Hugh Calloway (41) gave their eventual 162 all out an air of respectability. Andrew Marston (4-16) bowled an effective spell of left-arm spin.
Ireland hit 72 and Sanders an unbeaten 56 to push Sarisbury to 308-9. Hartley were dismissed for 156.
Sarisbury were headed for a big score once Ricky Rawlins (56) and Dan Clouting (33) shared an opening stand of 89.
Three wicket spells by Danny Plume (3-45) and Jamie Teale (3-41) curbed Sarisbury’s progress and HW were back in the game at 165-7.
But it can be a dog’s life when you’re bottom of the table – and sure enough the entry of a pedigree Hungarian canine (owned by an embarrassed Sarisbury Athletic team manager Jon Floyd) on to the outfield caused some mayhem as Danny Nightingale’s bid to stop a four was thwarted by the pooch. Who should have struck the ball and be denied a four : Floyd's son, Sam !
[Question: what decision did the umpires make when the dog interrupted play ? Did they award 5 runs, or .. ? One for our panel umpires to debate !!]
The ball prised away from the sharp teeth of Jon Floyd’s dog, Sarisbury continued with an eighth-wicket stand which swung the match around.
Facing a second consecutive 300-plus run deficit, Hartley dropped away with only Jonny Rowland (55) making a real impact as Phil Jewell (4-27) and Tom Nightingale (3-23) reduced them from 89-2 to 156 all out.
Five successive defeats, the latest by 46 runs by Portsmouth on Southsea seafront, has the alarm bells ringing at Ventnor, who lie second from bottom.
Tom Friend did his bit with a 4-44 return with the ball and a quick-fire 40 with the bat.
But Portsmouth’s 208, built around Ben Duggan (41) and skipper Jack Marston (45), proved too many as Ventnor tumbled from 58-1 to 100-8 before Hugh Calloway (41) gave their eventual 162 all out an air of respectability. Andrew Marston (4-16) bowled an effective spell of left-arm spin.
