Liphook & Ripsley celebrate the Southern Premier Division 2 title.
Ryan Covey Premier 2's batting award winner
Liphook & Ripsley won the Southern Premier Division 2 championship – their title clinching 95-run win at Bashley (Rydal) II coming exactly ten years after they last won it back in 2012.
They travelled to the New Forest requiring a solitary point to clinch promotion back into SPL1, from which they were relegated in 2018, and a win to ensure Ventnor, the eventual runners-up, couldn’t pip them.
Liphook achieved both objectives and, to put icing on the cake, had their principal batsman Royan Covey (back from Alton) topping the Division 2 charts with 476 runs (Ventnor’s West Indian all-rounder Anthony Alleyne is not eligible to receive SPL annual awards).
Liphook thrived on the 59-run start by Covey and Chris Martin (16) and continued to prosper as Suman Ganguly made a quick-fire 26, only to be bowled with Liphook four runs short of the 100 promotion clinching target.
Harry Munt (39) joined Covey for an 85-run partnership which pointed Liphook towards their eventual 224-5, Covey eventually holing out in the deep for a season’s best 86 and Adam Rouse making a forceful 23 not out.
Bashley made a promising start through Sean Mulley (28) and teenager Josh Parsons before 44-0 became 69-4, Charles Janczur taking 2-21. Teenager left-arm spinner Oscar Amis took 3-33 as Bashley lost three wickets at 99 before closing at 129-9, Sam Stroud (17) and Thom Reid (18) staging a mini-fightback.
They travelled to the New Forest requiring a solitary point to clinch promotion back into SPL1, from which they were relegated in 2018, and a win to ensure Ventnor, the eventual runners-up, couldn’t pip them.
Liphook achieved both objectives and, to put icing on the cake, had their principal batsman Royan Covey (back from Alton) topping the Division 2 charts with 476 runs (Ventnor’s West Indian all-rounder Anthony Alleyne is not eligible to receive SPL annual awards).
Liphook thrived on the 59-run start by Covey and Chris Martin (16) and continued to prosper as Suman Ganguly made a quick-fire 26, only to be bowled with Liphook four runs short of the 100 promotion clinching target.
Harry Munt (39) joined Covey for an 85-run partnership which pointed Liphook towards their eventual 224-5, Covey eventually holing out in the deep for a season’s best 86 and Adam Rouse making a forceful 23 not out.
Bashley made a promising start through Sean Mulley (28) and teenager Josh Parsons before 44-0 became 69-4, Charles Janczur taking 2-21. Teenager left-arm spinner Oscar Amis took 3-33 as Bashley lost three wickets at 99 before closing at 129-9, Sam Stroud (17) and Thom Reid (18) staging a mini-fightback.
