Charles Janczur puts Ventnor under new ball pressure [All pictures by Dave Reynolds]
Suman Ganguly underlined what an influential player he is for Liphook & Ripsley in the four-wicket win over Southern Premier Division 2 rivals Ventnor at Steephill.
Only recently returned from his native India (where his departure was delayed due to the on-going pandemic), Ganguly took 3-19 before providing a guiding light with the bat, scoring 39 as Liphook struggled to get past their hosts’ 86 all out.
Ventnor’s volunteer groundstaff had done very well to get the Steephill bowl playable after near enough one month’s rain had fallen on the island’s south-eastern coast the previous 24 hours, but unsurprisingly Liphook enjoyed bowler friendly conditions after not unreasonably offering their hosts first use of the track.
Ventnor were quickly 27-4 – Charles Janczur taking 2-15 and record Rowledge transfer signing Joe Randall nipping out West Indian Anthony Alleyne – before Ganguly’s spell, which contained late movement in the air and off the deck, left them in total disarray at 57-7.
Only recently returned from his native India (where his departure was delayed due to the on-going pandemic), Ganguly took 3-19 before providing a guiding light with the bat, scoring 39 as Liphook struggled to get past their hosts’ 86 all out.
Ventnor’s volunteer groundstaff had done very well to get the Steephill bowl playable after near enough one month’s rain had fallen on the island’s south-eastern coast the previous 24 hours, but unsurprisingly Liphook enjoyed bowler friendly conditions after not unreasonably offering their hosts first use of the track.
Ventnor were quickly 27-4 – Charles Janczur taking 2-15 and record Rowledge transfer signing Joe Randall nipping out West Indian Anthony Alleyne – before Ganguly’s spell, which contained late movement in the air and off the deck, left them in total disarray at 57-7.
The evergreen Martin Blackman (20) and youngster Zeph Wells (17) - pictured left and right above - rallied but Ryan Covey eventually got both batsmen and Ventnor were 86 all out. The travelling Liphook support had plenty to cheer on the hill.
They weren’t that jubilant when Chris Russell (2-27) struck twice, but Ganguly showed all his experience as Ventnor upped the ante. He made a crucial 39 and by the time Zeph Wells (2-16) fired in two short-pitched deliveries and had him caught behind and also Chris Martin bagged, Liphook had made 63-4.
Another two wickets fell quickly leaving Liphook 71-6 which left Grant Rouse and Jonny Pryce to take care of completing a four-wicket victory that hoisted Liphook to fourth place.
They weren’t that jubilant when Chris Russell (2-27) struck twice, but Ganguly showed all his experience as Ventnor upped the ante. He made a crucial 39 and by the time Zeph Wells (2-16) fired in two short-pitched deliveries and had him caught behind and also Chris Martin bagged, Liphook had made 63-4.
Another two wickets fell quickly leaving Liphook 71-6 which left Grant Rouse and Jonny Pryce to take care of completing a four-wicket victory that hoisted Liphook to fourth place.
Liphook match winner Suman Ganguly gloves a short ball from Zeph Wells into the ultra safe gloves of wicketkeeper Ben Woodhouse [Dave Reynolds picture]
