 Tom Morton - brutal [Roy Honeybone] |  James Hayward featured in 192-run stand [Roy Honeybone] . |
South Wilts are right back in the ECB Southern Premier Division championship mix after a Tom Morton inspired 107-run win over early season pacemakers Lymington at Bemerton.
Morton struck a blistering 155 - incredibly, his 19th competitive century for the club - as South Wilts piled up a massive 346-5 in 50 overs - only be denied a maximum point haul by a defiant Lymington's defiant last pair, who added 59 to enable the visitors to close at 239-9.
Nonetheless, the win took South Wilts to within 20 points of leaders Bashley (Rydal), whom they visit in the final match on August 31.
Morton & Co made hay after Lymington had put South Wilts into bat - the New Forest club's home ground bowling potency being stifled on a benign Wilton Road surface, particularly with the pacey Josh Proctor absent.
Some undistinguished bowling (there were far too many half-trackers) was punished, Morton latching on to anything short and loose as South Wilts posted 70-1 by the 10th over.
Kiwi Terry Crabb saw his five overs go for 44 – Morton and Arthur Godsal (37) taking total command as Lymington's fielders chased the leather across Bemerton's wide open spaces.
The real carnage came when James Hayward (93) joined Morton for a third wicket stand which yielded 192 - Hayward's taking a real liking to teenager Ben Attrill with his zany mix of ramp shots and reverse sweeps. In this mood, Hayward can be virtually impossible to set a field to.
Milestone
Morton, meanwhile, powered on, mauling the bowling with three sixes and 20 fours in his 155 - a knock which took him to within six runs of 500 for the season, a milestone which he will expect to reach in Saturday's final Time pennant match against Bournemouth at Chapel Gate.
Ben Draper chipped in with an unbeaten 20 as South Wilts marched on to 346-5, their second highest total in 50-over cricket, behind the towering 396-5 they amassed against the Hampshire Academy in 2015.
It was virtually academic after that as Lymington dropped to 94-6 before some lower order resistance from Henry Edwards (23), Dan Cox (26) and Attrill (28) lifted their total - and spirits - to 169-8.
But South Wilts' were unable to finish the job off as late call-up Connor Moors (59) and three-wicket last man Josh Royan (23) added a frustrating 59, eight bowlers being used in an unsuccessful bid to take a tenth and final wicket.
Man of the match Morton, however, completed a fine day with a four dismissals to take his season’s tally to 19 catches and stumpings.
Lymington, meanwhile, face the prospect of being without USA-bound Proctor for the remainder of the season and would do well to review their batting order, with Royan, for starters, batting far higher than Jack.
Morton struck a blistering 155 - incredibly, his 19th competitive century for the club - as South Wilts piled up a massive 346-5 in 50 overs - only be denied a maximum point haul by a defiant Lymington's defiant last pair, who added 59 to enable the visitors to close at 239-9.
Nonetheless, the win took South Wilts to within 20 points of leaders Bashley (Rydal), whom they visit in the final match on August 31.
Morton & Co made hay after Lymington had put South Wilts into bat - the New Forest club's home ground bowling potency being stifled on a benign Wilton Road surface, particularly with the pacey Josh Proctor absent.
Some undistinguished bowling (there were far too many half-trackers) was punished, Morton latching on to anything short and loose as South Wilts posted 70-1 by the 10th over.
Kiwi Terry Crabb saw his five overs go for 44 – Morton and Arthur Godsal (37) taking total command as Lymington's fielders chased the leather across Bemerton's wide open spaces.
The real carnage came when James Hayward (93) joined Morton for a third wicket stand which yielded 192 - Hayward's taking a real liking to teenager Ben Attrill with his zany mix of ramp shots and reverse sweeps. In this mood, Hayward can be virtually impossible to set a field to.
Milestone
Morton, meanwhile, powered on, mauling the bowling with three sixes and 20 fours in his 155 - a knock which took him to within six runs of 500 for the season, a milestone which he will expect to reach in Saturday's final Time pennant match against Bournemouth at Chapel Gate.
Ben Draper chipped in with an unbeaten 20 as South Wilts marched on to 346-5, their second highest total in 50-over cricket, behind the towering 396-5 they amassed against the Hampshire Academy in 2015.
It was virtually academic after that as Lymington dropped to 94-6 before some lower order resistance from Henry Edwards (23), Dan Cox (26) and Attrill (28) lifted their total - and spirits - to 169-8.
But South Wilts' were unable to finish the job off as late call-up Connor Moors (59) and three-wicket last man Josh Royan (23) added a frustrating 59, eight bowlers being used in an unsuccessful bid to take a tenth and final wicket.
Man of the match Morton, however, completed a fine day with a four dismissals to take his season’s tally to 19 catches and stumpings.
Lymington, meanwhile, face the prospect of being without USA-bound Proctor for the remainder of the season and would do well to review their batting order, with Royan, for starters, batting far higher than Jack.
Fetch that ! Tom Morton hits a big six [Roy Honeybone]
James Hayward foxes Lymington gloveman Harry Fisher with a reverse sweep.
