Happy but exhausted - Hampshire Seniors century pair Stu Shapland (left) and Darren McBride.
Stu Shapland (87) and Darren McBride (85 not out) had plenty to laugh about after sharing a 146-run partnership for the Hampshire Seniors against Sussex Over-50s in the magnificent surroundings of Arundel Castle - but their efforts went unrewarded.
The pair came together after Michael Bell (3-38) had reduced Hampshire to 74-4, but took the visitors to 229-5 off 40 overs, the partnership yielding six (Shapland) sixes and 20 fours.
But Sussex later unleashed their own century pair to even greater effect, with Gary Hunt (80) and man-of-the-match Bell (73) unbroken with 136 as the hosts chased down the target to win by seven wickets with ten balls to spare. Bell helped Warwickshire win the County Championship in 1994.
There were two champagne moments : the superb (bangers and mash and apple/rasberry jam/custard sweet) lunch (which clearly impacted the Seniors in the field) and wicket-keeper Neil Sutherland smartly stumping Sussex opener Julian Hunt, just as a WW2 spitfire roared low overhead.
The pair came together after Michael Bell (3-38) had reduced Hampshire to 74-4, but took the visitors to 229-5 off 40 overs, the partnership yielding six (Shapland) sixes and 20 fours.
But Sussex later unleashed their own century pair to even greater effect, with Gary Hunt (80) and man-of-the-match Bell (73) unbroken with 136 as the hosts chased down the target to win by seven wickets with ten balls to spare. Bell helped Warwickshire win the County Championship in 1994.
There were two champagne moments : the superb (bangers and mash and apple/rasberry jam/custard sweet) lunch (which clearly impacted the Seniors in the field) and wicket-keeper Neil Sutherland smartly stumping Sussex opener Julian Hunt, just as a WW2 spitfire roared low overhead.
