Portsmouth's Scott Curwood gets a straight one during Jeremy Frith's five-wicket spell. Bob Selly picture.
Sparsholt, last season’s Southern Premier League Division 2 champions, look set to finish runners-up to Hook & Newnham Basics in their debut summer back in Division 1.
They all but mathematically clinched second place with a four-wicket win over Portsmouth at St Helen’s – a game in which skipper Jeremy Frith enhanced his prospects of winning the SPL1 bowling prize with a 5-17 return.
Frith took his season’s haul to 35 by cleaning out Portsmouth’s middle and lower order after Ben Duggan (57) and Fraser Hay (31) had made runs during a fragmented start.
Unsettled by a three-wicket spell by Dave Banks (3-29), Portsmouth creaked at 55-4 and only when Duggan was joined by Alex Hammond (21) did matters improve. But the last six wickets fell for 15 runs – five of them to Frith – as Portsmouth plunged to 139 all out.
Michael Haworth (35) and Frith (34) gave Sparsholt a 60-run platform before three wickets fell for 17 runs. At 100-3, another three fell for three runs. Sparsholt 103-6. Game in balance.
Teenager Liam Doran, with an unbeaten 35, and Hampshire Seniors’ star Andy Worth (18 not out) alleviated Sparsholt fears with an unbroken 39-run partnership which won the game.
They all but mathematically clinched second place with a four-wicket win over Portsmouth at St Helen’s – a game in which skipper Jeremy Frith enhanced his prospects of winning the SPL1 bowling prize with a 5-17 return.
Frith took his season’s haul to 35 by cleaning out Portsmouth’s middle and lower order after Ben Duggan (57) and Fraser Hay (31) had made runs during a fragmented start.
Unsettled by a three-wicket spell by Dave Banks (3-29), Portsmouth creaked at 55-4 and only when Duggan was joined by Alex Hammond (21) did matters improve. But the last six wickets fell for 15 runs – five of them to Frith – as Portsmouth plunged to 139 all out.
Michael Haworth (35) and Frith (34) gave Sparsholt a 60-run platform before three wickets fell for 17 runs. At 100-3, another three fell for three runs. Sparsholt 103-6. Game in balance.
Teenager Liam Doran, with an unbeaten 35, and Hampshire Seniors’ star Andy Worth (18 not out) alleviated Sparsholt fears with an unbroken 39-run partnership which won the game.
 Someone catch it ... please ! |  Liam Doran scores the winning Sparsholt runs in front of Bob Selly's zoom ... |
