Bottom-of-the-pile Andover dropped a bombshell into Lymington’s ECB British Gas Southern Premier Division title ambitions with a surprise 83-run win at the Sports Ground.
Off-spinning skipper Matt Hooper, pictured above, took 6-27 as Andover successfully defended 170 by bowling the overnight league leaders out for a meagre 83.
The defeat dropped Lymington from first to fourth in the log and, with three games left – the last of which is against Havant – they lag 12 points behind South Wilts.
From Andover’s perspective, the win rekindled their prospects of avoiding a prompt relegation back to Division 1, which they won in such dramatic fashion on the final day last season.
“It was great to finally get a victory,” Hooper said. “We are hopeful that this will give us some momentum into the final three games, two of which are against Alton and New Milton, two teams down the bottom with us.”
Andover were confident they could pull off a win defending 170.
“When we got that total we knew Lymington would have to bat well to chase it down – and their Zimbabwean big hitter Malcolm Lake and Hampshire’s Calvin Dickinson weren’t playing,” added bowling hero Hooper, who trapped five of his six victims leg before.
“The pitch was well suited to spin and I had one of those days where they kept getting hit bang in front.
“It was turning a long way and going up and down. They played me well to be fair, but there was always one that could keep low so I felt I was always in with a chance.”
Hard hitting New Zealander Terry Crabb launched into the Andover attack, hitting six fours in a quick fire 32 as Lymington raced to 44 without loss before suffering a massive collapse.
With Hooper striking, they lost three wickets for six runs (50-3) and then four more in plunging from 70-3 to 71-6 – and to the point of no return.
Sri Lankan Chamika Karunaratne (3-19) bowled effectively, supporting Hooper as Lymington proceeded to lose all ten wickets for 39 runs in crashing from 44-0 to an astonishing 83 all out.
“Chamika bowled very well at the other end to keep the pressure on and he deserved his wickets,” Hooper continued.
The former Sri Lankan Under-23 international also top scored with 57 for Andover, while opener Josh Ballentine-Dykes and Harry Blackburn each made 26.
Dom Hand (4-32) and Guy Layman (3-26) took a lion‘s share of the wickets for Lymington.
Off-spinning skipper Matt Hooper, pictured above, took 6-27 as Andover successfully defended 170 by bowling the overnight league leaders out for a meagre 83.
The defeat dropped Lymington from first to fourth in the log and, with three games left – the last of which is against Havant – they lag 12 points behind South Wilts.
From Andover’s perspective, the win rekindled their prospects of avoiding a prompt relegation back to Division 1, which they won in such dramatic fashion on the final day last season.
“It was great to finally get a victory,” Hooper said. “We are hopeful that this will give us some momentum into the final three games, two of which are against Alton and New Milton, two teams down the bottom with us.”
Andover were confident they could pull off a win defending 170.
“When we got that total we knew Lymington would have to bat well to chase it down – and their Zimbabwean big hitter Malcolm Lake and Hampshire’s Calvin Dickinson weren’t playing,” added bowling hero Hooper, who trapped five of his six victims leg before.
“The pitch was well suited to spin and I had one of those days where they kept getting hit bang in front.
“It was turning a long way and going up and down. They played me well to be fair, but there was always one that could keep low so I felt I was always in with a chance.”
Hard hitting New Zealander Terry Crabb launched into the Andover attack, hitting six fours in a quick fire 32 as Lymington raced to 44 without loss before suffering a massive collapse.
With Hooper striking, they lost three wickets for six runs (50-3) and then four more in plunging from 70-3 to 71-6 – and to the point of no return.
Sri Lankan Chamika Karunaratne (3-19) bowled effectively, supporting Hooper as Lymington proceeded to lose all ten wickets for 39 runs in crashing from 44-0 to an astonishing 83 all out.
“Chamika bowled very well at the other end to keep the pressure on and he deserved his wickets,” Hooper continued.
The former Sri Lankan Under-23 international also top scored with 57 for Andover, while opener Josh Ballentine-Dykes and Harry Blackburn each made 26.
Dom Hand (4-32) and Guy Layman (3-26) took a lion‘s share of the wickets for Lymington.
