Jonty Sebborn, Rowledge top scorer. Thirty-three points separate leaders Hook & Newnham Basics from second placed Sparsholt going into the final Southern Premier League Division 2 three-match run-in.
The pair both enjoyed comfortable wins in their respective round 15 matches, Hook by six wickets over Rowledge and Sparsholt by 36 runs against relegation strugglers Calmore Sports at Loperwood Park.
Hook and Newnham Basics bounced back from their Sparsholt defeat by bowling Rowledge out for 133 and winning at a stroll.
They were soon in control through Jack Murrell (3-20), the former Paultons seamer removing Chris Yates, Sam Plater and Fraser Wilson with only 15 scored.
Teenager Ollie Baker (25) and top scorer Jontie Sebborn (62) moved the score to 54, before Anik Devicha ran out Baker. Sebborn continued to underpin the innings but was losing partners fast as lanky left-armer Liam Shore (2-42) sent David Lloyd and Ian Metcalfe back to the KGV pavilion.
At 84-6 Rowledge looked in trouble, they were in even more dire straits soon after a Divecha (3-30) reduced them to 88-9. Sebborn and Richard Forbes added 45 for the last wicket, before Richard Willcock trapped the top scorer as they were all out for 133.
Hook’s reply suffered the early loss of Harry Robson for four, but Daniel Moore continued his excellent recent form with 42 and along with Kieran Thomson (29) they took the score to 83.
At this point, both were dismissed, but any hopes the visitors had soon vanished as Willcock and Matt Buckingham (14) took the home side to 120. Buckingham being the last Hook man out as Willcock (18 not out) and Josh Buckingham (14 not out) saw them home with 16 overs to spare.
Jeremy Frith shone with bat and ball as Sparsholt ground out a 36-run win over Calmore Sports, whose bowlers gave little away – Steve Wright (1-11) and Mark Lavelle (1-16) conceding only 27 runs off their combined 20 overs.
Frith (46) and Sam O’Brien (30) added a crucial 50 before the evergreen Mike West (3-47) impacted the middle-order to leave Sparsholt defending 164-7.
Calmore, sweating with a bare seven-point lead over OTs & Romsey at the basement, were rolled over for 128 (Ben Johns 30) by Frith (4-12) and the emerging Liam Doran (3-37).
OTs & Romsey put up a decent fist of it on Southsea’s gale swept St Helen’s ground and went down by 16 runs after dismissing Portsmouth for 196.
Ben Duggan (65) top scored for Portsmouth, while Hampshire’s Chris Wood (40) and Charlie King (36) eased OTR to 93-2 before the innings fells away against spinner Fahad Ahmed (3-15), Andy Marston (3-32) and Fraser Hay (3-52).
Charlie Ayres hit an unbeaten 49 to steer Andover to a five-wicket win over Sarisbury Athletic, whose 134 contained a half-century by Jack Lovett (54).
Winless Ventnor are now officially relegated. Lee Beck and Dan Loader shared six wickets as Ventnor fell to 91 all out and an eight-wicket defeat at New Milton, for whom Toby Edwards (46) didn’t hang about. The season can’t end soon enough for the beleaguered Steephill
The pair both enjoyed comfortable wins in their respective round 15 matches, Hook by six wickets over Rowledge and Sparsholt by 36 runs against relegation strugglers Calmore Sports at Loperwood Park.
Hook and Newnham Basics bounced back from their Sparsholt defeat by bowling Rowledge out for 133 and winning at a stroll.
They were soon in control through Jack Murrell (3-20), the former Paultons seamer removing Chris Yates, Sam Plater and Fraser Wilson with only 15 scored.
Teenager Ollie Baker (25) and top scorer Jontie Sebborn (62) moved the score to 54, before Anik Devicha ran out Baker. Sebborn continued to underpin the innings but was losing partners fast as lanky left-armer Liam Shore (2-42) sent David Lloyd and Ian Metcalfe back to the KGV pavilion.
At 84-6 Rowledge looked in trouble, they were in even more dire straits soon after a Divecha (3-30) reduced them to 88-9. Sebborn and Richard Forbes added 45 for the last wicket, before Richard Willcock trapped the top scorer as they were all out for 133.
Hook’s reply suffered the early loss of Harry Robson for four, but Daniel Moore continued his excellent recent form with 42 and along with Kieran Thomson (29) they took the score to 83.
At this point, both were dismissed, but any hopes the visitors had soon vanished as Willcock and Matt Buckingham (14) took the home side to 120. Buckingham being the last Hook man out as Willcock (18 not out) and Josh Buckingham (14 not out) saw them home with 16 overs to spare.
Jeremy Frith shone with bat and ball as Sparsholt ground out a 36-run win over Calmore Sports, whose bowlers gave little away – Steve Wright (1-11) and Mark Lavelle (1-16) conceding only 27 runs off their combined 20 overs.
Frith (46) and Sam O’Brien (30) added a crucial 50 before the evergreen Mike West (3-47) impacted the middle-order to leave Sparsholt defending 164-7.
Calmore, sweating with a bare seven-point lead over OTs & Romsey at the basement, were rolled over for 128 (Ben Johns 30) by Frith (4-12) and the emerging Liam Doran (3-37).
OTs & Romsey put up a decent fist of it on Southsea’s gale swept St Helen’s ground and went down by 16 runs after dismissing Portsmouth for 196.
Ben Duggan (65) top scored for Portsmouth, while Hampshire’s Chris Wood (40) and Charlie King (36) eased OTR to 93-2 before the innings fells away against spinner Fahad Ahmed (3-15), Andy Marston (3-32) and Fraser Hay (3-52).
Charlie Ayres hit an unbeaten 49 to steer Andover to a five-wicket win over Sarisbury Athletic, whose 134 contained a half-century by Jack Lovett (54).
Winless Ventnor are now officially relegated. Lee Beck and Dan Loader shared six wickets as Ventnor fell to 91 all out and an eight-wicket defeat at New Milton, for whom Toby Edwards (46) didn’t hang about. The season can’t end soon enough for the beleaguered Steephill
