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Hythe & Dibden finished second from the bottom of the Southern Premier League Cup West 2/3 group after visiting Fair Oak beat them by eight wickets with ten overs to spare at Jones Lane.
Oaks, for their own part, were runners-up to West ‘champions’ Bashley (Rydal) II, who contest the Grand Final with Portsmouth & Southsea at St James’s Park on Saturday, 12.30.
Hythe opener Matt Young (66) continued his fine recent form sharing in partnerships of 59 with Tom Gates (31) and 66 with Andy Wakely (34). But when Young was third out at 160-3, one of three victims for Oaks left-arm spin skipper Charlie Gwynn (3-30), the visitors took a firm grip on the match that they were never to relinquish.
Rhys Oxley and Rufus Bullough took a wicket each as Hythe subsided to 170-6, while seamers Ben Smith, Ross Stewart and Freddie Eley all bowled with commendable economy.
After the break Gregor McKenzie carved the Hythe attack for two sixes and nine fours in his innings of 56, most of his runs coming in an opening stand of 70 with his brother Monty. The younger McKenzie was bowled by Fair Oak old boy Tim Ndowora, while Gregor fell to Gates, both bowlers returning figures of 1 for 36.
But Gwynn carried on the good work, hitting 52 not out off just 42 balls, while Will Hughes scored an unbeaten 36 in a stand of 90 as Oaks cruised home with plenty of juice still in the tank.
Oaks, for their own part, were runners-up to West ‘champions’ Bashley (Rydal) II, who contest the Grand Final with Portsmouth & Southsea at St James’s Park on Saturday, 12.30.
Hythe opener Matt Young (66) continued his fine recent form sharing in partnerships of 59 with Tom Gates (31) and 66 with Andy Wakely (34). But when Young was third out at 160-3, one of three victims for Oaks left-arm spin skipper Charlie Gwynn (3-30), the visitors took a firm grip on the match that they were never to relinquish.
Rhys Oxley and Rufus Bullough took a wicket each as Hythe subsided to 170-6, while seamers Ben Smith, Ross Stewart and Freddie Eley all bowled with commendable economy.
After the break Gregor McKenzie carved the Hythe attack for two sixes and nine fours in his innings of 56, most of his runs coming in an opening stand of 70 with his brother Monty. The younger McKenzie was bowled by Fair Oak old boy Tim Ndowora, while Gregor fell to Gates, both bowlers returning figures of 1 for 36.
But Gwynn carried on the good work, hitting 52 not out off just 42 balls, while Will Hughes scored an unbeaten 36 in a stand of 90 as Oaks cruised home with plenty of juice still in the tank.
Fawley's Alex Forster celebrated his maiden senior five-wicket return to set up a last day Southern Premier League Cup victory over Paultons at Holbury.
The Cambridge University student took five of the last six wickets to fall, finishing with 5-10 as Paultons crumbled from 104-4 to 124 all out and an eventual five-wicket West group defeat.
Bailey Parratt (3-25) did the early damage to leave Paultons 39-3 and fourth-wicket pair Tom Smart (41) and Scott Dawes (23) with a repair situation on their hands.
But Forester’s 27-ball spell, which began with the key scalp of big hitting Nathan Feltham, ripped Paultons apart, Kieron Earl taking two slick stumpings off the young medium-pacer.
Chris Dunn (3-21) and Dawes (2-23) made inroads but Dave Streather’s unbeaten 41 eased Fawley to a five-wicket win and fifth place in the final table.
South Wilts seconds never recovered from a three-wicket new-ball blast by left-armer James Trodd which left them reeling at 10-3 against Old Tauntonians & Romsey at Bemerton.
Their patched up side recovered to reach 159-9, but a century partnership between Bothwell Chapungu (left) and Harry Tulk swept the visitors to a seven-wicket win.
Trodd (3-35) hit the stumps three times in quick succession to send Joe Cranch, Chris Chaddock and Matt Falconer back to the pavilion.
George Edwards (36) and Tom Pearce (20) repaired the initial damage, but a four-wicket spell by left-arm spinner Matt Bampton (4-15) plunged South Wilts into deeper trouble at 98-8.
Ninth-wicket pair Jack Richards (25 not out) and Tom Bolam (22) added 51 to give South Wilts something to bowl at - but Chapungu and Tulk effectively blew the target away.
Rhys Wathen (19) fell to a return catch by Rob Pittman, but that was South Wilts' solitary success for a long period as the Zimbabwean and Tulk (40) virtually sealed OTs victory with a 116-run stand.
Left-hander Tulk as content to play a support role as Chapungu struck 13 fours on his way to an unbeaten 75. Young spinner James Brewer (2-26) removed Tulk and Jovan Dhariwal before OTs clinched an easy victory with 13 overs to spare.
A middle-order collapse, in which five wickets fell for 31 runs, nullified any prospect Trojans had of posting a competitive total against Langley Manor at Knellers Lane.
Ed Boyd (41) was largely responsible for a sound Trojans start, but a four-wicket spin spell by Nick Doubell (4-46) and a miserly 2-10 off eight by little Tommy Spencer tilted the balance and left the visitors defending 152-8.
Jack Budd (39) and Conor Browne (20) gave the Manor a 66-run start, but Tristan Bamford broke the momentum with an expensive 4-55 which saw three wickets for four runs. The Manor were five down before Jordie Smith (34) and Steve Harris (26) got them across the line.
The Cambridge University student took five of the last six wickets to fall, finishing with 5-10 as Paultons crumbled from 104-4 to 124 all out and an eventual five-wicket West group defeat.
Bailey Parratt (3-25) did the early damage to leave Paultons 39-3 and fourth-wicket pair Tom Smart (41) and Scott Dawes (23) with a repair situation on their hands.
But Forester’s 27-ball spell, which began with the key scalp of big hitting Nathan Feltham, ripped Paultons apart, Kieron Earl taking two slick stumpings off the young medium-pacer.
Chris Dunn (3-21) and Dawes (2-23) made inroads but Dave Streather’s unbeaten 41 eased Fawley to a five-wicket win and fifth place in the final table.
South Wilts seconds never recovered from a three-wicket new-ball blast by left-armer James Trodd which left them reeling at 10-3 against Old Tauntonians & Romsey at Bemerton.
Their patched up side recovered to reach 159-9, but a century partnership between Bothwell Chapungu (left) and Harry Tulk swept the visitors to a seven-wicket win.
Trodd (3-35) hit the stumps three times in quick succession to send Joe Cranch, Chris Chaddock and Matt Falconer back to the pavilion.
George Edwards (36) and Tom Pearce (20) repaired the initial damage, but a four-wicket spell by left-arm spinner Matt Bampton (4-15) plunged South Wilts into deeper trouble at 98-8.
Ninth-wicket pair Jack Richards (25 not out) and Tom Bolam (22) added 51 to give South Wilts something to bowl at - but Chapungu and Tulk effectively blew the target away.
Rhys Wathen (19) fell to a return catch by Rob Pittman, but that was South Wilts' solitary success for a long period as the Zimbabwean and Tulk (40) virtually sealed OTs victory with a 116-run stand.
Left-hander Tulk as content to play a support role as Chapungu struck 13 fours on his way to an unbeaten 75. Young spinner James Brewer (2-26) removed Tulk and Jovan Dhariwal before OTs clinched an easy victory with 13 overs to spare.
A middle-order collapse, in which five wickets fell for 31 runs, nullified any prospect Trojans had of posting a competitive total against Langley Manor at Knellers Lane.
Ed Boyd (41) was largely responsible for a sound Trojans start, but a four-wicket spin spell by Nick Doubell (4-46) and a miserly 2-10 off eight by little Tommy Spencer tilted the balance and left the visitors defending 152-8.
Jack Budd (39) and Conor Browne (20) gave the Manor a 66-run start, but Tristan Bamford broke the momentum with an expensive 4-55 which saw three wickets for four runs. The Manor were five down before Jordie Smith (34) and Steve Harris (26) got them across the line.
