Chasing a third consecutive ECB Southern Premier League championship, Havant eased to a seven-wicket win over an almost totally reshaped Lymington side at the Park.
Andy Gorvin, pictured, with a 3-29 return with the ball and a game clinching 61 not out, caught the eye for Havant against a much changed Lymington outfit with a distinct Isle of Wight flavour.
Lymington have lost Hampshire’s Calvin Dickinson (Oxford), Ed Ellis (St Cross Symondians) and Richard Locke (Burridge) from the side which pushed for the title for two-thirds of last season.
Neither skipper Simon Beetham nor lead strike bowler Matt Metcalfe was available for Havant’s opening title defence, so it was left to Australian all-rounder James Grady, from Queensland University, to keep them buoyant.
The Brisbane law and commerce student, Lymington’s overseas player for the summer, top scored with 37 in his side’s modest 135.
He later came on as first change, taking two of the three Havant wickets to fall.
Five of Lymington’s side were Island raised, but only Ryde’s Josh Procter (19) performed, adding useful seventh-wicket runs with Grady after the visitors had slumped to 74-6.
Havant lost their openers cheaply, but an unbroken stand worth 81 between Gorvin (61) and teenager Harry Gadd (35) took the champions home without any further scares.
Stone, who has taken over the captain’s armband from Totton & Eling bound Ben Walker, was delighted to see his Havant team carry on where they left off last season.
“If anything I think we are even hungrier this season,' said Stone. “To go out and make it a hat-trick of titles would be a wonderful achievement. That is our target for the season.
“We will be doing everything that we can to crack on just as we have in the last two seasons. The club has enjoyed their success and the appetite is still there to keep it going. It was nice to make the best possible start in our defence of the title.”
• Havant host Chichester Priory Park in the ECB Royal London national club championship second round on Sunday, 1pm.
Andy Gorvin, pictured, with a 3-29 return with the ball and a game clinching 61 not out, caught the eye for Havant against a much changed Lymington outfit with a distinct Isle of Wight flavour.
Lymington have lost Hampshire’s Calvin Dickinson (Oxford), Ed Ellis (St Cross Symondians) and Richard Locke (Burridge) from the side which pushed for the title for two-thirds of last season.
Neither skipper Simon Beetham nor lead strike bowler Matt Metcalfe was available for Havant’s opening title defence, so it was left to Australian all-rounder James Grady, from Queensland University, to keep them buoyant.
The Brisbane law and commerce student, Lymington’s overseas player for the summer, top scored with 37 in his side’s modest 135.
He later came on as first change, taking two of the three Havant wickets to fall.
Five of Lymington’s side were Island raised, but only Ryde’s Josh Procter (19) performed, adding useful seventh-wicket runs with Grady after the visitors had slumped to 74-6.
Havant lost their openers cheaply, but an unbroken stand worth 81 between Gorvin (61) and teenager Harry Gadd (35) took the champions home without any further scares.
Stone, who has taken over the captain’s armband from Totton & Eling bound Ben Walker, was delighted to see his Havant team carry on where they left off last season.
“If anything I think we are even hungrier this season,' said Stone. “To go out and make it a hat-trick of titles would be a wonderful achievement. That is our target for the season.
“We will be doing everything that we can to crack on just as we have in the last two seasons. The club has enjoyed their success and the appetite is still there to keep it going. It was nice to make the best possible start in our defence of the title.”
• Havant host Chichester Priory Park in the ECB Royal London national club championship second round on Sunday, 1pm.
