Stu Ransley Havant's match winner
Stu Ransley and Pete Hopson used their experince to nurse Havant through an awkward period and to a five-wicket win over Rowledge, for whom victory in their first match outside the Southern League to sphere in over 50 years was important.
Inexperienced alongside the former champions, Rowledge were disappointed to have twice surrendered the initiative, initially with the bat at 117-3 and later when they had Havant four down and Bayswater Morley import Kieran Abrams in Haslemere General A & E with a broken finger.
Rowledge lost a couple of early wickets to the pace of Rob Woolley (4-40) but opener Max Martin (48) glued the innings together. A fourth wicket stand between Martin and Olly Ryman (28) put the hosts at 117 -3 after 28 overs in a very strong position to post a very high total.
The fall of the pair to Woolley and then Ollie Baker for a duck in the space of three overs turned the game on its head and the score at 126-6 looked precariously in danger of a score less than 200 on a solid School Lane track which played well after the dry weather.
Evergreen David Lloyd (38) and the young pretender Ryan Littlewood (24) recovered the situation and runs chipped in by debutant teen Hayden Ewing (15*) and Jonty Seeborn (15) at the end saw the total rise to a par 223 score.
Rowledge were disappointed most of the batsmen got themselves in but no one went on to place a big score which could have won the match for them.
Havant got off to a flyer with opener Harrison Barnard (46) blasting their reply score to 59 without loss after 9 overs before falling to a return catch by Ollie Baker, who finished with 4-36. Hopson (59) continued to play a solid role, keeping the innings together role and at 103-1 and Chris Stone (35) going nicely things were looking bleak for the hosts.
A mini collapse reducing Havant to 115-4 with Lloyd and Baker taking wickets gave Rowledge hope but Hopson remained and with Ransley (62*) slowly regained control of the game and an 88-run partnership between the two gave the visitors the match.
Inexperienced alongside the former champions, Rowledge were disappointed to have twice surrendered the initiative, initially with the bat at 117-3 and later when they had Havant four down and Bayswater Morley import Kieran Abrams in Haslemere General A & E with a broken finger.
Rowledge lost a couple of early wickets to the pace of Rob Woolley (4-40) but opener Max Martin (48) glued the innings together. A fourth wicket stand between Martin and Olly Ryman (28) put the hosts at 117 -3 after 28 overs in a very strong position to post a very high total.
The fall of the pair to Woolley and then Ollie Baker for a duck in the space of three overs turned the game on its head and the score at 126-6 looked precariously in danger of a score less than 200 on a solid School Lane track which played well after the dry weather.
Evergreen David Lloyd (38) and the young pretender Ryan Littlewood (24) recovered the situation and runs chipped in by debutant teen Hayden Ewing (15*) and Jonty Seeborn (15) at the end saw the total rise to a par 223 score.
Rowledge were disappointed most of the batsmen got themselves in but no one went on to place a big score which could have won the match for them.
Havant got off to a flyer with opener Harrison Barnard (46) blasting their reply score to 59 without loss after 9 overs before falling to a return catch by Ollie Baker, who finished with 4-36. Hopson (59) continued to play a solid role, keeping the innings together role and at 103-1 and Chris Stone (35) going nicely things were looking bleak for the hosts.
A mini collapse reducing Havant to 115-4 with Lloyd and Baker taking wickets gave Rowledge hope but Hopson remained and with Ransley (62*) slowly regained control of the game and an 88-run partnership between the two gave the visitors the match.
 Pete Hopson |  Oli Baker |
