 James Hibberd |  Ben Johns |
James Hibberd has come out of partial retirement to help his old club Calmore Sports in their bid to avoid the drop from Southern Premier League Division 1.
Hibberd called time on his 483-wicket career with South Wilts at the end of last season, but having answered Mark Lavelle’s SOS call, returned to the Loperwood fold and played a key role in an eight-wicket win over relegation rivals OTs & Romsey, which nudged his side out of the immediate danger zone.
Bowling alongside miserly left-armer Steve Wright (2-10 off ten overs) and Southampton Solent University student Yannick Depervanche (3-36), Hibberd reveled on the Romsey Sports Centre surface, taking 3-21 as OTR sank to 43-6 (Joe Vaughan 19) before Tom George (32) gave the innings some impetus at 112 all out.
Ben Johns punished Joe Folkestone’s opening spell as Calmore made a 57-run response before Matt Bampton dismissed Paul Lock and Matt Taylor in consecutive deliveries. He went on to hit an unbeaten 58 and, with Hibberd contributing a solid 28 not out at the other end, saw Calmore home to a crucial win.
Calmore’s next three matches are testing one’s against Sparsholt, Portsmouth and Sarisbury Athletic – an identical run-in to OTs, who’s season finishes against table toppers Hook & Newnham Basics.
Hibberd called time on his 483-wicket career with South Wilts at the end of last season, but having answered Mark Lavelle’s SOS call, returned to the Loperwood fold and played a key role in an eight-wicket win over relegation rivals OTs & Romsey, which nudged his side out of the immediate danger zone.
Bowling alongside miserly left-armer Steve Wright (2-10 off ten overs) and Southampton Solent University student Yannick Depervanche (3-36), Hibberd reveled on the Romsey Sports Centre surface, taking 3-21 as OTR sank to 43-6 (Joe Vaughan 19) before Tom George (32) gave the innings some impetus at 112 all out.
Ben Johns punished Joe Folkestone’s opening spell as Calmore made a 57-run response before Matt Bampton dismissed Paul Lock and Matt Taylor in consecutive deliveries. He went on to hit an unbeaten 58 and, with Hibberd contributing a solid 28 not out at the other end, saw Calmore home to a crucial win.
Calmore’s next three matches are testing one’s against Sparsholt, Portsmouth and Sarisbury Athletic – an identical run-in to OTs, who’s season finishes against table toppers Hook & Newnham Basics.
