Josh Buckingham : Ian Thacker
Relegated Hook & Newnham Basics made a rip-roaring start to life in Southern Premier Division 2 when they ran up 324-9 before beating New Milton on the opening day of the season.
Since then, things have not worked out as planned with defeats by Parley and Waterlooville being inflicted either side of a 378-run pasting by Fawley (before it rained).
A three-wicket round four defeat by the Ville has left Hook third from bottom of the pile. The Division 2 fixture ebbed and flowed, with Ashan Silva starring in the early exchanges as Hook, having chosen to bat at Rowlands Avenue, crashed to 15-4.
Silva (4-29) had skipper Charlie Neville caught behind, before bowling Sam Lockwood and Alex Brown for ducks. The stumps kept on being rearranged as Dylan Youngs got one through Rupert Armstrong’s defence. Josh Buckingham then led a fightback, hitting 12 boundaries before falling four short of his century. With Josh Balcombe (30 not out) and Aussie Ellis McCarthy (27) providing back-up, Hook finished their 50 overs on 236-9.
In reply, Ville lost Archie Reynolds for a single before skipper Dan Birch (45) and Charlie Whitfield (37) added 70 for the second wicket. Harry McBride shared a sixth wicket partnership of 66 with Jon Hudson (29).
In the final reckoning, the 34 wides Hook’s bowlers sent down – in a total of 41 extras – was also crucial in what was a tight encounter. Fittingly, Silva was at the other end when McBride took a single off the first ball of the penultimate over to clinch his side’s three-wicket success.
Sway climbed into second place behind Waterlooville with a 58-run win at Fernhill, where Cape Town based all-rounder Keegan Fortune played a significant role in New Milton's defeat. He hit an unbeaten 73 before taking two important top order wickets.
Fortune, who plays for Claremont back home in the Cape, steered Sway towards their 263-run goal, with Adam Clark (54), Bailey brothers Dan and Josh (29 each) and Tom Richards (27) in support.
New Milton got to 74-1 but were out of the contest at 100-6. Ed Bartlett (56) and the promising Ed Denham (31) enhanced their final score to 205.
Raminder Singh celebrated is maiden Fawley century, his unbeaten 106 lifting the Watersiders from 92-5 to a hefty 285-7 - his hundred being one less than the entire Liphook & Ripsley team could manage between them.
Bailey Parratt shared the post match jug with his 5-32.
Since then, things have not worked out as planned with defeats by Parley and Waterlooville being inflicted either side of a 378-run pasting by Fawley (before it rained).
A three-wicket round four defeat by the Ville has left Hook third from bottom of the pile. The Division 2 fixture ebbed and flowed, with Ashan Silva starring in the early exchanges as Hook, having chosen to bat at Rowlands Avenue, crashed to 15-4.
Silva (4-29) had skipper Charlie Neville caught behind, before bowling Sam Lockwood and Alex Brown for ducks. The stumps kept on being rearranged as Dylan Youngs got one through Rupert Armstrong’s defence. Josh Buckingham then led a fightback, hitting 12 boundaries before falling four short of his century. With Josh Balcombe (30 not out) and Aussie Ellis McCarthy (27) providing back-up, Hook finished their 50 overs on 236-9.
In reply, Ville lost Archie Reynolds for a single before skipper Dan Birch (45) and Charlie Whitfield (37) added 70 for the second wicket. Harry McBride shared a sixth wicket partnership of 66 with Jon Hudson (29).
In the final reckoning, the 34 wides Hook’s bowlers sent down – in a total of 41 extras – was also crucial in what was a tight encounter. Fittingly, Silva was at the other end when McBride took a single off the first ball of the penultimate over to clinch his side’s three-wicket success.
Sway climbed into second place behind Waterlooville with a 58-run win at Fernhill, where Cape Town based all-rounder Keegan Fortune played a significant role in New Milton's defeat. He hit an unbeaten 73 before taking two important top order wickets.
Fortune, who plays for Claremont back home in the Cape, steered Sway towards their 263-run goal, with Adam Clark (54), Bailey brothers Dan and Josh (29 each) and Tom Richards (27) in support.
New Milton got to 74-1 but were out of the contest at 100-6. Ed Bartlett (56) and the promising Ed Denham (31) enhanced their final score to 205.
Raminder Singh celebrated is maiden Fawley century, his unbeaten 106 lifting the Watersiders from 92-5 to a hefty 285-7 - his hundred being one less than the entire Liphook & Ripsley team could manage between them.
Bailey Parratt shared the post match jug with his 5-32.
