Old Tauntonians & Romsey will enjoy the bragging rights for the next two months after a comfortable six-wicket win over long standing British Gas Southern League rivals Trojans at Romsey Sports Centre.
Trojans, who looked likely Division 2 champions last season after winning their first eight games only to fall away, have suffered a few winter departures, but debutant Rahul Bohme did his level best against OTR, scoring 51 and then taking a wicket.
Bohme’s half-century glued the Trojans innings together after the Stoneham visitors had lurched to 23-3.
Ed Boyd (24) shared the only meaningful partnership with Bohme before left-arm spinner Matt Bampton (3-18) and Joe Vaughan got amongst the wickets. A useful late rally by Luke Adderley added another 34 runs before Bohme was last out at 118.
Elliott Mitchell-Lea was run out early in OTs reply, but the limping Nick DeStefano (34) and Charlie King (27) took the score to 65 before Peter Newman’s 29 not out got the Romsey hosts home.
The father and son combination of James and Ethan Taylor shone for Totton & Eling, who thumped newly promoted Langley Manor by eight wickets.
The Manor were almost totally reliant on South African Saulieg Rayned (51) and Azeem Hamid (47), who both fell to the left-arm spin of young Taylor, who finished with 4-36.
Their modest 162 at Knellers Lane was comfortably blown away by James Taylor, whose unbeaten 57 was supported by Oli Perrin (36) and skipper Mark Mbofana (31).
Rob Pittman’s 73 not out eased visiting South Wilts II to an two-wicket win at Hambledon, where they chased down 204-5 (George Marshall 67).
Tom Cowley (32) and Owain Phillips (27) gave SW a healthy enough start, but it needed Pittman’s cool head to get the Bemerton side home.
Jerry Frith, with 35 and a 6-21 spin bowling return, did his bit for Sparsholt, but got little support from his team-mates as Hartley Wintney won by two wickets chasing only 149.
HW looked set to cruise it while New Zealander Henry Collier (79) was at the crease, but Frith sent wickets tumbling before the visitors crept home.
Former Lymington opener Cameron Grierson cracked 84 on his Paultons debut, but was unable to get his side past St Cross Symondians IIs’ 236-9.
Paultons were disappointed to have lost having had St Cross in the mire at 102-7 (Andrew Denney 3-27), former Hampshire batsman Jason Laney having gone leg before to Tony Richman (2-28) for a duck.
Marlborough captain Billy Mead (39) shone among those dismissed, but Matt Haworth (45), Axes Ayres (40) and Tom Veillard (26) produced a determined fightback to lift St Cross to 236-9.
Hitting three maximums and eight fours in his 84, Grierson kept Paultons on course, but only Rob Pike (26) and Simon Ennew (39) provided noteworthy support as the visitors fell nine runs short at 227 (Steve Mitchell 3-41), being all out off the penultimate ball.
Trojans, who looked likely Division 2 champions last season after winning their first eight games only to fall away, have suffered a few winter departures, but debutant Rahul Bohme did his level best against OTR, scoring 51 and then taking a wicket.
Bohme’s half-century glued the Trojans innings together after the Stoneham visitors had lurched to 23-3.
Ed Boyd (24) shared the only meaningful partnership with Bohme before left-arm spinner Matt Bampton (3-18) and Joe Vaughan got amongst the wickets. A useful late rally by Luke Adderley added another 34 runs before Bohme was last out at 118.
Elliott Mitchell-Lea was run out early in OTs reply, but the limping Nick DeStefano (34) and Charlie King (27) took the score to 65 before Peter Newman’s 29 not out got the Romsey hosts home.
The father and son combination of James and Ethan Taylor shone for Totton & Eling, who thumped newly promoted Langley Manor by eight wickets.
The Manor were almost totally reliant on South African Saulieg Rayned (51) and Azeem Hamid (47), who both fell to the left-arm spin of young Taylor, who finished with 4-36.
Their modest 162 at Knellers Lane was comfortably blown away by James Taylor, whose unbeaten 57 was supported by Oli Perrin (36) and skipper Mark Mbofana (31).
Rob Pittman’s 73 not out eased visiting South Wilts II to an two-wicket win at Hambledon, where they chased down 204-5 (George Marshall 67).
Tom Cowley (32) and Owain Phillips (27) gave SW a healthy enough start, but it needed Pittman’s cool head to get the Bemerton side home.
Jerry Frith, with 35 and a 6-21 spin bowling return, did his bit for Sparsholt, but got little support from his team-mates as Hartley Wintney won by two wickets chasing only 149.
HW looked set to cruise it while New Zealander Henry Collier (79) was at the crease, but Frith sent wickets tumbling before the visitors crept home.
Former Lymington opener Cameron Grierson cracked 84 on his Paultons debut, but was unable to get his side past St Cross Symondians IIs’ 236-9.
Paultons were disappointed to have lost having had St Cross in the mire at 102-7 (Andrew Denney 3-27), former Hampshire batsman Jason Laney having gone leg before to Tony Richman (2-28) for a duck.
Marlborough captain Billy Mead (39) shone among those dismissed, but Matt Haworth (45), Axes Ayres (40) and Tom Veillard (26) produced a determined fightback to lift St Cross to 236-9.
Hitting three maximums and eight fours in his 84, Grierson kept Paultons on course, but only Rob Pike (26) and Simon Ennew (39) provided noteworthy support as the visitors fell nine runs short at 227 (Steve Mitchell 3-41), being all out off the penultimate ball.