What a start to the season Hambledon have made with all three teams unbeaten and topping their respective Southern Premier and Hampshire League divisions.
Dons made it four wins from four with a comfortable seven-wicket victory over SPL 3 strugglers Hythe & Dibden, while the seconds are out on top in Division 4 South and the club’s third team leading Division 5 South East.
A fine all-round bowling display enabled Hambledon to extend their 100 per cent start, all six bowlers used took a wicket as lowly Hythe & Dibden were bowled out for 134 at Ridge Meadow.
Hambledon lost just three wickets en route to their latest victory which sees them top the table with a maximum average of 22 points
James Restell (2-35) took the first two wickets to fall before Will Hardman (1-24) accounted for Hythe opener Tom Gates (23). Tom Richards (26) was top score while Spencer Le Clerq (2-7), Henry Glanfield (2-17) and George Harding (2-23) all picked up two wickets.
Openers George Marshall (27) and Dan McGovern (25) gave Hambledon a solid start in reply before Chris Pratt and captain Le Clerq came together at 77-3. They added an unbroken 55 for the fourth wicket with Pratt ending unbeaten on 35 and Le Clerq on 19 not out. Virus-free. www.avg.com
Back from his university studies in South Wales, Jack Hawkins-Richards, left, (4-25) helped mop up the tail as Gosport Borough climbed into second place, 17 points behind Hambledon, with a 41-run win over Basingstoke & North Hants at Privett Park.
Basingstoke lost their last six wickets for 23 runs and went down by 41 runs chasing Gosport’s 165 (Ryan Connor 3-44), having earlier had the Borough in a spot of bother.
Richard Vinn (43) and Scott Dyer (22) gave them a fighting chance at 101-4 after which the innings caved in, Basingstoke lost their last four batsmen for only two runs to be 124 all out, Scott Taylor bowling an economical 109 off his eight overs.
Gosport had earlier required an eighth wicket stand of 43 between Taylor (19) and former Hampshire Seniors ace John Adams (24) as the hosts - who had slipped from 94-4 to 106-7 - eventually reached 165 (Craig Stares 32).
Hook seconds, who visit rock bottom Purbrook on Saturday, saw their unbeaten Premier 3 start ended by Portsmouth & Southsea, who had opener Jack Davies to credit for their three wicket win at the KGV.
Hook began brightly enough through Harry Warner (32) and Tom May (20), but they sank from 52-0 to 105-5 before Alex Brown (36) and Charlie Neville (33) revived their fortunes.
Alas, from 146-5, Hook lost their last five wickets for 29 runs and were all out for 175.
Lewis Watts (2-29) struck two immediate blows by dismissing the Benfield brothers, Tom and Matt and after a triple inflicted strike by spinner Neville were rocking at 58-5.
But with Dean Lee (22) a reliable partner, Davies began to wrestle the initiative away from Hook – their sixth-wicket stand doubling the visitors’ total.
Left-hander Davies then found another ally in former Waterlooville spin all-rounder Max Goddard (24), the duo adding 30 before skipper Ben Saunders emerged to clinch victory. Davies finished 67 not out.
Dons made it four wins from four with a comfortable seven-wicket victory over SPL 3 strugglers Hythe & Dibden, while the seconds are out on top in Division 4 South and the club’s third team leading Division 5 South East.
A fine all-round bowling display enabled Hambledon to extend their 100 per cent start, all six bowlers used took a wicket as lowly Hythe & Dibden were bowled out for 134 at Ridge Meadow.
Hambledon lost just three wickets en route to their latest victory which sees them top the table with a maximum average of 22 points
James Restell (2-35) took the first two wickets to fall before Will Hardman (1-24) accounted for Hythe opener Tom Gates (23). Tom Richards (26) was top score while Spencer Le Clerq (2-7), Henry Glanfield (2-17) and George Harding (2-23) all picked up two wickets.
Openers George Marshall (27) and Dan McGovern (25) gave Hambledon a solid start in reply before Chris Pratt and captain Le Clerq came together at 77-3. They added an unbroken 55 for the fourth wicket with Pratt ending unbeaten on 35 and Le Clerq on 19 not out. Virus-free. www.avg.com
Back from his university studies in South Wales, Jack Hawkins-Richards, left, (4-25) helped mop up the tail as Gosport Borough climbed into second place, 17 points behind Hambledon, with a 41-run win over Basingstoke & North Hants at Privett Park.
Basingstoke lost their last six wickets for 23 runs and went down by 41 runs chasing Gosport’s 165 (Ryan Connor 3-44), having earlier had the Borough in a spot of bother.
Richard Vinn (43) and Scott Dyer (22) gave them a fighting chance at 101-4 after which the innings caved in, Basingstoke lost their last four batsmen for only two runs to be 124 all out, Scott Taylor bowling an economical 109 off his eight overs.
Gosport had earlier required an eighth wicket stand of 43 between Taylor (19) and former Hampshire Seniors ace John Adams (24) as the hosts - who had slipped from 94-4 to 106-7 - eventually reached 165 (Craig Stares 32).
Hook seconds, who visit rock bottom Purbrook on Saturday, saw their unbeaten Premier 3 start ended by Portsmouth & Southsea, who had opener Jack Davies to credit for their three wicket win at the KGV.
Hook began brightly enough through Harry Warner (32) and Tom May (20), but they sank from 52-0 to 105-5 before Alex Brown (36) and Charlie Neville (33) revived their fortunes.
Alas, from 146-5, Hook lost their last five wickets for 29 runs and were all out for 175.
Lewis Watts (2-29) struck two immediate blows by dismissing the Benfield brothers, Tom and Matt and after a triple inflicted strike by spinner Neville were rocking at 58-5.
But with Dean Lee (22) a reliable partner, Davies began to wrestle the initiative away from Hook – their sixth-wicket stand doubling the visitors’ total.
Left-hander Davies then found another ally in former Waterlooville spin all-rounder Max Goddard (24), the duo adding 30 before skipper Ben Saunders emerged to clinch victory. Davies finished 67 not out.
Jack Davies Portsmouth & Southsea saviour [The News]
Purbrook suffered another batting collapse as their bid for a first Southern Premier League victory of 2021 goes on.
Two weeks previously, a spectacular run of wickets had seen them plummet from 60-2 to 65-9 against Basingstoke & North Hants II.
At the weekend they had reached 105-3 in reply to Trojans’ 214-5 total - only to see five wickets clatter for the addition of just three runs.
Purbrook were restricted to 154-9 (Sean Figgins 41) and their fourth successive defeat leaves them rooted to the foot of the table.
Trojans openers Nigel Le Bas (53) and Ed Boyd (43) had earlier put on 60 for the first wicket. When Boyd fell - one of three victims for the evergreen Ian Limb (3-36) - Trojans were 120-4 in the 28th over before Arsalan Yasin hit an unbeaten 60 and Ollie Kelly 26.
Purbrook shrunk to 31-3, but rallied through Figgins and Martin Lee (29), who added 74. They were all out for 154 with Nisan Ahmad and Yasin sharing six of the wickets.
Two weeks previously, a spectacular run of wickets had seen them plummet from 60-2 to 65-9 against Basingstoke & North Hants II.
At the weekend they had reached 105-3 in reply to Trojans’ 214-5 total - only to see five wickets clatter for the addition of just three runs.
Purbrook were restricted to 154-9 (Sean Figgins 41) and their fourth successive defeat leaves them rooted to the foot of the table.
Trojans openers Nigel Le Bas (53) and Ed Boyd (43) had earlier put on 60 for the first wicket. When Boyd fell - one of three victims for the evergreen Ian Limb (3-36) - Trojans were 120-4 in the 28th over before Arsalan Yasin hit an unbeaten 60 and Ollie Kelly 26.
Purbrook shrunk to 31-3, but rallied through Figgins and Martin Lee (29), who added 74. They were all out for 154 with Nisan Ahmad and Yasin sharing six of the wickets.
