Joy for Sparsholt teen Josh Banks Williams as he clean bowls lead Division 1 run gun Ben Duggan for nine. Bob Selley pictures.
 Dan Wallis (above) is bowled by Tom Ley and (right) gets Joe Kooner-Evans to nick the ball into the gloves of Sparsholt wicketkeeper Josh May. Portsmouth sink to 18-5. |  |
Jeremy Frith had to call upon his experience to usher Sparsholt to a four-wicket win over Southern Premier Division 1 strugglers Portsmouth at St Helen’s, Southsea.
Sparsholt looked as though they might get a comfortable win after skittling Portsmouth for 79 – but they needed all Frith’s experience to get them across the line after three top order wickets fell for three runs and the visitors plunged to 40-5.
But Frith carried his bat for a match winning 42 not out.
Neither side coped with the new ball with Portsmouth losing half their wickets for 18 runs against the emerging teenage pair Josh Banks Williams (3-6) and Tom Ley (2-15).
Jack Marston (31) did his best to glue things together and his sixth-wicket stand of 49 with Alex Hammond improved matters before Sam Sumner (3-9) and Frith (2-15) cut through the lower order.
Sparsholt looked as though they might get a comfortable win after skittling Portsmouth for 79 – but they needed all Frith’s experience to get them across the line after three top order wickets fell for three runs and the visitors plunged to 40-5.
But Frith carried his bat for a match winning 42 not out.
Neither side coped with the new ball with Portsmouth losing half their wickets for 18 runs against the emerging teenage pair Josh Banks Williams (3-6) and Tom Ley (2-15).
Jack Marston (31) did his best to glue things together and his sixth-wicket stand of 49 with Alex Hammond improved matters before Sam Sumner (3-9) and Frith (2-15) cut through the lower order.
Joe Kooner Evans (4-21) strikes back.
Sparsholt didn’t have things their only way, dropping from 13-2 and later 40-5 against the seam of Joe Kooner-Evans (4-21) who kept Portsmouth in the hunt.
But Portsmouth were unable to shift Frith, who punished the bad ball with eight boundaries in his 42 not out, and the valued experience of former skipper Tim Simmonite (11), who added a match winning 39 for the sixth wicket.
But Portsmouth were unable to shift Frith, who punished the bad ball with eight boundaries in his 42 not out, and the valued experience of former skipper Tim Simmonite (11), who added a match winning 39 for the sixth wicket.
.. but no panic, Jeremy Frith has it all under control !
