Hampshire batting prospect Fletcha Middleton survived an injury scare in Totton & Eling’s five-wicket defeat by the Academy and was fit enough to play - and score an unbeaten century - in the Second XI Championship match against Essex at the Ageas Bowl.
Middleton, who was sidelined with a broken finger for a period last season, possibly feared the worst when he was struck on the right/bottom hand while batting by teenager Academy speedster Dom Kelly.
He immediately threw off his glove, but continued batting and made 30 of Totton’s 145 all out. He was later able to field – and run out Jude Wright before the Academy clinched their victory.
It is understood Middleton (left) had a precautionary X-ray after the match, but fortunately suffered only bruising.
He clearly had few ill effects as he made an unbeaten 108 for Hampshire IIs, who closed 197-1 at the end of a rain shortened opening day on the Nursery Ground.
Facing the pacey 16-year Kelly was no fun for the Totton batsmen – the Millfield speedster scattering Bothwell Chapungu’s stumps in the fifth over after the powerful Zimbabwean left-hander had thudded him for consecutive fours. 
Middleton braved Kelly’s pace and went on to make 30 before Totton suffered a horrendous collapse, losing five wickets – Jude Wright (2-26) and the fast-emerging Oli Cordery (2-12 off eight overs) got two each – in plunging from 63-1 to 86-6. 
The downfall brought together a fascinating father and son batting combination of James and Leo Taylor (22), who added 41 for the seventh wicket.
The Taylors are made of stern stuff and the Academy had to work to shift them before 16-year old Leo, having hit four boundaries, became the first of three victims for Archie Fairfax-Ross (3-21) at 127 whereupon three more wickets fell for five runs.
Taylor senior went for 31, trapped leg before – the Academy’s accurate bowling being underlined by three Totton batsmen being bowled, two trapped leg before and two caught behind by Charlie Mumford.
Academy openers Tom Cheater (35) and Mumford (15) traded in boundaries, 40 of the initial 46 runs crossing the rope – the Southern Gardens raised Cheater hitting Brighton Mugochi’s left-arm spin to the line off three successive deliveries of the sixth over.
The pair exited to consecutive deliveries with the Academy reply at 46, but Kelly (38) and Millfield team-mate Joe Eckland (37 not out) soon got things back on course with a 62-run stand.
Teenage left-arm spinner Toby Green (2-25) combined with gloveman James Taylor to squeeze out a bowling bonus point before Eckland completed the formalities.

Hampshire Seniors are loosening up for a treble helping of home matches in the various national competitions this week.
Like Lord Sugar, the Seniors are still searching, not for an apprentice, but a win to halt a run of five successive defeats in the Sixties Championship. They will take heart that Surrey, who come to Sparsholt's Norman Edwards Ground on Tuesday (1230) have lost five of their own games. Opener Chris Evans has often been Hampshire's nemesis in the past ...
Hampshire 50s, in contrast, are going nicely with four wins and share second place in the south-west group with Dorset, both one point behind leaders Cornwall.  Hampshire host the Isle of Wight at Bashley (Rydal) on Wednesday, 1pm.
Pete Green's 70s will look to build on last week's excellent nine-wicket win over Somerset when they entertain Wiltshire at Twyford's pleasant Hunters Park (John Paine's pride and joy) on Thursday, 1pm.

Australian seamer Sam Beer (left) celebrated a second consecutive five-wicket haul as St Cross Symondians beat Bournemouth to keep ECB Southern Premier League leaders South Wilts comfortably within their sights.
The Victorian followed up his 5-24 return against Hook & Newnham Basics with a 5-55 haul as St Cross bowled Bournemouth out for 172 before Harry Foyle’s 63 not out got them across the line by five wickets.
With two key home games against Bashley (Rydal) and South Wilts on the immediate horizon, St Cross lie only 13 points off top spot – a situation that could easily be overturned in one afternoon.
With Hampshire involved in Vitality Blast T20 Cup action this coming weekend – they host Gloucestershire at the Ageas Bowl on Friday evening (7pm) – St Cross will expect to have Felix Organ back for Bashley’s visit to the Green Jackets ground on Saturday, 11am.
And skipper Ed Ellis may well be fit to return after fracturing his right middle finger against the Academy.  South African all-rounder Michael Booth is, however, troubled by a niggling groin problem.
The St Cross win at Chapel Gate aggravated the situation Bournemouth find themselves in – the 25-points penalty the Southern Premier League imposed on them after the opening round match against Hook & Newnham Basics on May 7 was abandoned due to an ‘unsafe’ pitch is beginning to bite hard.
The points deduction, coupled with back-to-back defeats by Burridge and St Cross Symondians, has left Bournemouth bottom of the table – and in need of a win pretty soon !

Sam Beer was their nemesis, taking the first two wickets before Bournemouth rallied through Tasmanian left-hander Tom Willoughby (41) and Simon Woodruff, who were parted by the left-arm spin of Charlie Gwynn (2-34 off 17 overs) at 89-2.
Woodruff (53) had to curb his normal attacking instincts and with a patient half-century did his best to hold the innings together as none of the last seven batsmen made double figures. Beer saw to that.

​Defending a modest 172, Bournemouth enjoyed immediate success when Dan Conway bowled the dangerous Tom Foyle for a second ball duck.
Soon after, Woodruff bowled young opener Ben Foster to leave St Cross 26-2, but Harry Trussler (41) and Harry Foyle got their heads down to deny Bournemouth any further inroads for a while.
Nonetheless, Bournemouth kept plugging away and with Trussler falling to the left-arm spin of Rob Pack, the match was in the balance with St Cross 103-5 and still needed another 70 for victory.
But Bournemouth were unable to shift Harry Foyle or the incoming Sam Beer (24 not out), the all-rounders going on to win the game for St Cross Symondians, Foyle hitting a disciplined 63 not out.
Like Woodruff earlier, Foyle, normally aggressive at the crease, got his head down and batted 129 balls for his match-winning innings which contained six boundaries.

Anne Carter has resigned as Hampshire League secretary. 

Its little wonder South Wilts are riding high at the top of the ECB Southern Premier League – their batsmen can’t stop scoring hundreds !
The unbeaten 105 skipper Ben Draper made to lay the foundations for a comprehensive win over Havant was the fifth century a Bemerton batter had made in the side’s four Time pennant victories.
Tom Morton set the ball rolling with back-to-back hundreds, firstly 110 against Bashley (Rydal) and then that powerful 130 in the ruthless nine-wicket demolition of the Hampshire Academy on June 11.
Jack Stearman partnered him that sun filled Ageas Bowl evening with 107 not out. A week later, Peter Rowe lit up Totton & Eling’s Southern Gardens with 166 runs of the highest quality.
Draper’s 105 not out was the South Wilts’ captain’s third in the Premier League – he made previous tons against St Cross Symondians in 2017 and at Bournemouth two years later – and underpinned a rain trimmed total of 234-5 which was always beyond Havant’s reach.
The 109-run win was South Wilts’ fourth in the all-day ‘time’ format and maintains a five-point lead over the Hampshire Academy (who beat Totton & Eling by five wickets) and 13 over St Cross Symondians. Approaching the halfway point, they appear the only two realistic challengers to their championship crown.
South Wilts’ visit to Winchester’s Green Jackets ground on Saturday week, July 9 is clearly one to ring fence in terms of where the trophies are handed out at the end of the season.
Draper said that “South Wilts had got all three disciplines right against Havant – strong batting, good bowling and fine fielding.”   His assessment was spot on. 

​South Wilts were firmly in the driving seat when they sat down for lunch a healthy 111-2 – Morton’s breezy 24 kick starting the innings before the unflappable Jack Stearman set his course for another key knock at the top of the order.
Peter Rowe came and went cheaply, leaving Stearman and Draper to add 63 before the break.
Havant’s Ben Walker must have felt he was skippering with one hand tied behind his back.
With Richard Jerry (side muscle) and Sony Reynolds (back) injured and university captain Nick Ward returned home to Folkestone, Walker was Havant’s sole seamer, though his nine overs cost only 16 runs.  The remaining 51 overs were spin.
Stearman, only two shy of 400 Premier League runs this season, was happy enough and, having hit a six and eight fours in his 75, looked all set to score his second century of the season when he missed a straight one from 14-years old Matt Hayward.   
Stearman’s departure at 169-3 allowed Draper centre stage – and he certainly didn’t disappoint the bumper turn out of vice-presidents who broke off from their smoked salmon lunch to stand and applause his century which contained a six and 13 fours, many from his favoured sweep shot off the spinners.
Draper is enjoying a golden summer, closing in on 1,000 runs in all cricket, with four fifty-plus scores for Wiltshire in addition to his run glut for South Wilts.
“He went from third to sixth gear in very quick time against Havant. His innings was a joy to watch,” praised team-mate at Wiltshire boss Tom Morton.
                                                                                             Disbelief
In days gone by, Havant might have engaged in a run chase but, a club in transition, they are a pale shadow of the side that nailed eight separate championships between 2000 and 2017.
Young Charlie Whitfield (19) led a sound enough start but from 38-0 Havant lost seven wickets for 28 runs and plunged to 66-7 – Chris Stone watching on in horror and disbelief as a succession of partners came and went and the visitors’ changing room door almost came off its hinges.
Aayran Sen (3-35), the Mumbai spin magician, opened the can, removing Harry Gadd courtesy of a superb catch in the deep by Stearman before birthday boy Tom Lewis (3-38), bowling in a hideous pair of yellow boots (£5 from a charity shop ?) sliced through the top order. 
Attack was Stone’s only form of defence and he continued his excellent recent form – an unbeaten 97 against Hook & Newnham Basics and 123 at Bournemouth – with a boundary strewn 50, two sixes, eight fours, so 44 of them crossing the rope.
Five of Havant’s batsmen managed only single-figure scores – two colts bagged ducks – before Matt Burton (2-23) and Josh Croom wrapped things up.  Havant 125 all out, beaten by 109 runs.

ECB SOUTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE
RESULTS - ROUND 8 - 26 JUNE 2022
ECB PREMIER DIVISION (time pennant)

Bournemouth 172 (Woodruff 53, Willoughby 41, Beer 5-55) St Cross Symondians 173-5 (H Foyle 63*, Trussler 41, Beer 24*). St Cross Symondians won by five wickets.
Burridge 204 (Chowdhury 45, Paskins 34, Collings-Wells 34, Stancliffe 27, Digby 7-21) Bashley (Rydal) 208-3 (Tripcony 60, Friend 55*, J Gordon 49, Porter 30*). Bashley (Rydal) won by seven wickets.
Hook & Newnham Basics 114 (Thane 35, Warner 29, Cox 6-33, Hartshorn 3-33) Lymington 117-2 (Scott 46, Rogers 29, Royan 23*). Lymington won by eight wickets.
South Wilts 234-5 (Draper 105*, Stearman 75) Havant 125 (Stone 50, Sen 3-35, Lewis 3-38). South Wilts won by 109 runs.
Totton & Eling 145 (J Taylor 31, Middleton 30, Fairfax-Ross 3-21) Hampshire Academy 149-5 (Kelly 38, Eckland 37*, Cheater 35). Hampshire Academy won by six wickets. 

DIVISION 1 (50-0vers)
​
Basingstoke & North Hants 174 (Donaldson 44, Wood 35, Thankachan 34, Vinn 27, Carty 4-41) Calmore Sports 175-6 (Johns 105*, Wood 3-41). Calmore Sports won by four wickets.
Liphook & Ripsley 128 (Covey 36, Nicklin 31, Egleston 4-14, Walters 3-15) Alton 129-3 (Myers 40*, Heffernan 33, Harris 27). Alton won by seven wickets.
Rowledge 218-9 (O Ryman 67, Seeborn 56, Baker 33, Littlewood 32) New Milton 185 (R Beck 88, L Beck 39, Edwards 29, Harvey 3-31, Yates 3-42). Rowledge won by 33 runs.
Sarisbury Athletic 286 (Floyd 89, Franklin 52, J Hill 41, Grierson 25, Ley 3-35, Lovell 3-71) Sparsholt 155 (Doran 50, Sumner 25, Berrill 21, S Hill 3-31, Wright 3-38). Sarisbury Athletic won by 131 runs.
Ventnor 260-9 (Thimodya 87, Snell 60, Whyte 31, McArdle 3-44) Portsmouth 256-5 (target score 256 off 48 overs)(Jalill 68, Daini 57, Marston 55, Wimble 35). Portsmouth won by five wickets.

DIVISION 2 (50 overs)

Andover 258 (Ayers 130) Fawley 102 (Veettil 5-32, Nyumbu 3-18). Andover won by 156 runs.
Fair Oak 166 (Doubell 48, Reed 25, Jackson 4-41, Hillman 3-16) Waterlooville 166-7 (Reynolds 64, Robinson 28*, Stewart 3-36). Match tied.
Hambledon 293 (De Villiers 123, Le Clercq 54) Bashley (Rydal) II 192 (target score 227 off 35 overs)(Trodd 38, Anstee 25, Khan 4-20, Turner 3-34). Hambledon won by 35 runs.
Hartley Wintney  261-7 (Hammond 52, J Kerr 43, Bone 37,Puddifant 37) St Cross Symondians II 264-5 (Laney 80, Hirst 40, Barrett 42, Swann 38, Clarke 32*). St Cross Symondians II won by five wickets.
Hook & Newnham Basics II 163 (Neville 42, Murrell 28, Armstrong 22, Light 20, Vaughan 3-37) Old Tauntonians & Romsey 167-4 (King 42*, Wathen 37*, Vaughan 24, Gardner 4-23). Old Tauntonians & Romsey won by six wickets.

DIVISION 3 (50 overs)

Basingstoke & North Hants II 207 (Jayakody 95*, Pearce 3-29)  South Wilts II 14-0. Match abandoned, rain.
Gosport Borough 88 (Harris 40, Dunstan 3-12, Willey 3-22) Portsmouth & Southsea 89-2 (Bollom 37*, Davies 24*). Portsmouth & Southsea won by eight wickets.
Havant II 220-8 (Feeney 35, Matthews 27, Wilkinson 24, Loat 23) Purbrook 129 (Gurney 56, Matthews 3-19). Havant II won by 91 runs.
Langley Manor 298 (Harris 109*, Budd 108, Browne 30, Felstead 3-57) Trojans 258 (Agha 103, Ahmad 41, Brown 3-43). Langley Manor won by 40 runs.
Sway 310-6 (Steadman 101, Hall 72, Bernard 46, Noble 42) Paultons 259-8 (Ennew 51, Rogers 40, Longland 40, Barton 36, Dawes 24, Grasham 3-36). Sway won by 51 runs.

Portsmouth’s prospects of clawing their way back into the Southern Premier Division 1 promotion race will hinge on a successful outcome of their trip to Ventnor’s Steephill bowl.
With four defeats (and only three wins) in seven outings, Portsmouth are languishing in seventh place, 38 points adrift of leaders Rowledge.
Returning skipper Ben Duggan knows only too well a fifth loss will leave the city club dangling on the lip of the relegation zone – not something president Arthur Shaw had in his pre-season manifesto.
Portsmouth’s hopes aren’t helped by a long term side muscle injury sustained by player/coach Steve Warner, the ex-South Wilts all-rounder fearing he could be in for a season-long absence.
Similarly, a fourth defeat will seriously dent Ventnor’s title prospects, though with eight of the sides in Division 1 arguably capable of beating each other there is a long way to go yet.
Portsmouth: Duggan, Marston, Mitchell, Jalil, Wimble, Daini, Kooner evans, smitherman, silva, McArdle, Rao.
Table topping Rowledge face their longest trip of the season to lowly New Milton, but have top order batsman Jonty Seeborn available now his term at Exeter has ended. 
New Milton, 18 points above the second relegation place, have big hitting Toby Edwards back alongside Lee Beck and, on paper, name a strogner side than the one thrashed by 204 runs at Sarisbury Athletic last week.
New Milton: Watts, Edwards, L Beck, Loader, R Beck, Griffiths, Hall, Mills, Bartlett, Wooster, Freeman.
Rowledge: B Wish, Yates, Harvey Seeborn, J Wish, LeRoux, O Ryman, Littlewood, Lloyd, Baker, Forbes.
Second placed Calmore Sports, now home to Cornwall League side Grampound Road in the next round of the Village Cup on Sunday week (July 3), host Basingstoke & North Hants, who will have influential all-rounder Ash Neal on duty or the final time this season.
Having completed his studies at Bournemouth university, Neal is off travelling and will hand the captain’s armband to Joe Oates.
Calmore have Shaun Johnson and Dan Croft to beef up the seam bowling unit, weakened by left-armer Steve Wright’s absence in Canada, where he is exploring the possibility of joining the Mounties.
Calmore Sports: Bailey, Carty, Croft, Johns, Johnson, Lavelle, Manning, Moss, Parker, Perry, Rose.
Only ten points separate Basingstoke from third placed Sarisbury Athletic, who make a change behind the stumps for Sparsholt’s visit to Allotment Road, with Simon Orr coming in.
Sarisbury smashed the New Milton attack for 313-6 last week with Nathan Feltham hitting George Watts for 28 runs off one over, mainly in the allotments !
Sarisbury Athletic: J Hill, Grierson, Rawlins, Floyd, Orr, Feltham, Franklin, Wright, Degrussa, S Hill, Jewell.
Struggling Liphook & Ripsley entertain Alton at Ripsley Park.

Calmore Sports' Voneus Village Cup 'round of 16 tie' against Cornishmen Grampound Road on Sunday week, July 3, has been switched to Loperwood Park as their west country opponents are hosting the Cornwall League T20 finals and cannot find another local ground.
It will save Calmore an expensive overnight trip to the outskirts of Truro and give them a great chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The prize for beating Grampound Road will be a home last eight tie against either Pentyrch or Goatacre.

Hands up, who wants to take the new ball ?
That may well be the question Ben Walker will ask in the Bemerton visitors’ dressing room if he loses the toss and Havant are asked to field first against South Wilts, who top the ECB Southern Premier League.
Walker has lost his entire seam bowling unit with Richard Jerry sidelined with a side muscle injury, Sonny Reynolds (left) suffering from a recurrence of back trouble, and Nick Ward having returned to play for Folkestone in the Kent League following the end of his university semester.
Walker himself may have to take the new ball, but he’ll have no shortage of spin options with six potential slow bowlers in his armoury.
Champions South Wilts don’t exactly have a clean bill of health themselves, though with Tom Morton, Peter Rowe and left-hander Jack Stearman in good nick runs aren’t a problem.
Jack Mynott, along with injured duo James Hayward (hamstring) and Ben Huntley (shoulder), miss the Havant match.
With Hayward on wine waiter duty at the Vice President’s lunch, young Indian left-arm spin all-rounder Aaryn Sen has eyed a possible promotion in the South Wilts order, to five where Hayward normally slots.
Sen opens the batting for his club side in Mumbai and in midweek hit a classy half-century on debut for the MCC.  

South Wilts: Morton, Stearman, Rowe, Draper, Godsal, Falconer, Sen, Grant, Croom, Lewis, Burton.
Havant: Hopson, C Whitfield, H Gadd, Stone, Metzger, Walker, Hindley, Barnard, A Whitfield, P Hayward, M Hayward.
Second placed Hampshire Academy are unchanged for the visit to Totton & Eling to the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground, where Fletcha Middleton will be eager to impress.
Whoever loses the toss could be in for a long session in the field !
Several of the academy side were in good form against Kent seconds in midweek, with Joe Eckland, Charlie Mumford and Jude Wright in the runs.
Academy: Eckland, Cheater, Mumford, Wright, Kelly, Fairfax-Ross, Baker, Pritchard, Ruffell, Martin, Cordery.
St Cross Symondians are without Hampshire’s Felix Organ and injured skipper Ed Ellis for the trip to Chapel Gate, where hosts Bournemouth lie bottom, mainly on account of the 25-point deduction the Premier League imposed when the round one match against Hook & Newnham Basics was abandoned due to an ‘unsafe pitch’.
Things are much improved now, though Bournemouth need a win to hoist themselves off the bottom.
St Cross Symondians: T Foyle, Bransgrove, Booth, Connolly, Foster, H Foyle, Trussler, Gwynn, Beetham, Beer, Haworth.  
Bashley (Rydal) call up seam all-rounder George Wilson against Burridge at the BCG, where left-armer Brad Currie is resting up ahead of Dorset’s key National Trophy match against Wales MC at Wimborne on Sunday, 11am.   He has been playing for Sussex II in midweek.
Ton-up Michael Porter, Jacob Gordon and Tom Friend all made runs at Havant last week.
Bashley (Rydal): Digby, Francis, Jacob Gordon, Porter, Friend, Morris, Tripcony, Goodey, Finn Gordon, G.Wilson, Fletcher.
If last weekend’s results are to be any guide, then Hook & Newnham Basics’ home match with Lymington is unlikely to be a run fest.
Hook were skittled for 58 by St Cross Symondians and Lymington managed only 123 before losing by eight wickets to the academy.
Ollie May and Rhodes Franklin make their seasonal debuts, while Lymington expect Kiwi James Hartshorn to have recovered from a cut shin and Ryan Scott return, provided he gets back from his holiday in Portugal.
Johan Dhariwal also returns after last week’s Cambridge University black tie ball.
Hook & Newnham Basics: Thane, Warner, Robson, Buckingham M, Buckingham J, Simpson M, Watts, Divechi, May O, Doran, Franklin 
Lymington: Rogers, Crabb, Scott, Royan, J Dhariwal, L Mcurdy, J Hartshorn, D Cox, A Wheble, G Layman, R Attree.

Leicestershire are believed to be tracking Matt De Villiers, who continued his remarkable Hambledon career last weekend by blasting the highest individual innings in the Southern Premier League for three years.
The South African belted 168 - the highest SPL score by a Dons batter in the 21st century - as the Division 2 leaders romped to their seventh successive league win of the year at Hartley Wintney.
The East Midlands county may well be on the brink on offering a trial to De Villiers is now very much in the running to become only the fourth batter since 1982 to reach the 1,000 runs milestone in a SPL season.
He already has 571 runs at 114.20 from seven innings - 179 more than the next highest scorer across the four tiers of the SPL, South Wilts opener Tom Morton.
His league innings so far in 2022 have been 89, 67, 63 not out, 100, 53, 31 not out and now 168.
Back in 1982, an 18-year old Robin Smith -  who went on to star for Hampshire and England - set a new Southern League run record of 1,015 for Trojans.
That was beaten twice in 2003, when South African Erasmus Hendriske - also playing for Trojans - hit 1,025 Division 3 runs. But that same year, Kiwi Neal Parlane set a new record with 1,074 for Totton-based BAT in the top flight.
Parlane’s record stood for just two years, before South African Will Prozesky topped it by just two runs.
After starting the 2005 season with Havant, Prozesky dropped down to Division 3 to play for Purbrook. In 10 innings, he struck 223 (on debut), 111, 180 not and 164 not out (on the final day of the season), with other knocks of 80, 76 and 66. Purbrook won the title.
So far - touch wood! - De Villiers’ SPL season has been free of rain. Should it continue that way all summer, he will bat in 18 innings. And, if he continues at his current scoring rate, he would end with over 1,400 league runs!
De Villiers, from the lead Cape Town club Claremont, looks to extent his run glut when Bashley (Rydal) II visit Ridge Meadow.
OTs & Romsey lost their opening two matches, but have soared into second place after five straight wins.  Hook & Newnham Basics II are the visitors to Romsey Sports Centre, where Jack Murrell (heel injury) will play as a batsman.
Hook & Newnham Basics II:  May T, Love, Light, Gardner, Murrell, Moore, Armstrong, Neville, Allnutt J, Balcombe, Simpson L.
Waterlooville are without the influential Alex Shephard for the tricky trip to Fair Oak
Waterlooville: Reynolds A, Reynolds S, McCoy J, McGregor J, Hudson J, Hillman S, Parker C, Robinson S, Jackson T, Jackson C, Broadhurst G.
Hartley Wintney travel to Winchester to play winless St Cross Symondians II, while Andover go to lowly Fawley aiming to build on last week’s 298-run fest against St Cross.
Andover: Nyumbu, Adams, Garraghan, Hooper, Ayers, Knight, Ashman, Treagus, Williams, Blackburn, Veettil.
It’s all aboard the Gosport ferry for unbeaten leaders Portsmouth & Southsea, who plan to extend their seven-match winning Southern Premier League Division 3 start against the Borough at Privett Park, 12.30.
P & S are going great guns at the moment, with their top order batsmen firing and their seam bowlers taking wickets, none more so than last weekend when Matt Benfield hit a career-best 148 not out and Jack Davies (74) took his league run tally to 399.
Gosport are without two main players for the cross-harbour derby, with West Indian Denzel James once again on Army duty and pre-season recruit, Jubin Karippai re-joining Kerala, who lie third in Hampshire League Division 3 South.
But Jayaram Jayaraj has switched from Wiltshire League Division 2 side Devizes and, on debut against P & S seconds last weekend, made 90.
Gosport Borough: L Harrop, M Toogood, J Jayaraj, V Richards, J Harris, S Taylor, T Chicot, G Kitchin, M Ali, S Prathapasinghe, J Richards
Sway look to cement second place in SPL3 when they visit off-colour Paultons at Whitemoor Lane, the hosts having lost their last two matches. 
Batsman/keeper batsman Adam Hall is available, but seamer Jon Waller is missing from the bowling attack. 
Sway: Tim Noble, Will Crossley, Jon Grasham, Alex Hall, Dave Steadman, Hugh Bernard, Oscar Marshall, Greg Jones, Toby Ramwell, Neil Prince, Steve How. 
Langley Manor host Trojans, Havant II entertain neighbours Purbrook and Basingstoke & North Hants II need to beat South Wilts II at May’s Bounty to ease their relegation concerns.

In days of old when cricketers stayed behind and socialised after matches (anyone remember ?), scoring a fifty and/or taking five wickets would have been an expensive outlay in the bar afterwards.  It was jug time !
The jury is out whether Bournemouth's Rob Pack was actually seen in either the bar at Burridge last Saturday evening or the one at West Bromwich Dartmouth the following night after bowling Dorset to a National Counties Trophy victory over Staffordshire.
Whatever, the 21-years old left-arm spin all-rounder enjoyed a fine weekend, hitting an unbeaten 55 in Bournemouth's five-wicket Southern Premier League defeat at Burridge and then taking 5-16 as Dorset bowled Staffs out for 115 to win by nine wickets.
He's now fully focussed on repeating the dose this weekend when Bournemouth (now bottom of the SPL) host St Cross Symondians at Chapel Gate tomorrow (11am) and on Sunday when Dorset host Wales MC in their final NT Group 4 match at The Leaze, Wimborne.  Both are key matches.

Pat Wickson (71) and Ian Watson, with an unbeaten 64, shared a 129-run opening partnership to take Hampshire to within touching distance of an eventual nine-wicket win over Somerset at Twyford.
Somerset earlier collapsed from 87-1 to 143-9 with spin pair Chris Wood (4-23) and Peter Tapper (3-23) doing the damage.

South Wilts youngsters pictured after beating Winsley by eight wickets at Bemerton to become Wiltshire Under-15 champions and claim a home ECB Cup play-off tie against the Somerset winners.
They followed up impressive performances in the earlier rounds against Steeple Langford (nine wickets), Goatacre (82 runs) and Corsham (nine wickets) to restrict Winsley to 117-8 and polish off the runs with 13 balls to spare, William Welsh (52 retired) hitting his second fifty of the competition.
George Gairdner hit 26, with Thomas Whiting following up a three-wicket return with the ball to make an unbeaten 21.

​For the second successive Saturday Trojans were involved in a closely contested match which went to the wire, but on this occasion they emerged victorious by 2 wickets, writes Malcolm Clarke. 
At the start of the 41st over of their innings and the final over of Harman Chandhole who had already taken 5 wickets Trojans needed 9 runs to win with just 2 wickets left.  However Rahul Bhome who had already made 50 out of 119 scored a single off the first ball, but the second delivery saw Luke Dimmick hit a four off a no ball and he followed this up by scoring 2 off the free hit.  With one to win a further no ball was bowled and  Trojans were the winners by 2 wickets.
Earlier in proceedings Paultons won the toss and elected to bat.  With opener Lee Wateridge playing anchor man double figure scores by teenage left-hander Ben Rogers (19), Australian Calllum Barton (20) and Andy Collins (15) meant that the score had reached 98 by the time the fourth wicket fell in the 26th over.  However wickets then began to fall at regular intervals as Paultons were bowled out for 127 with the last man out galling in the 40th over for 40.
For Trojans spinners Rahul Bhome and Luke Dimmick each took 3 wickets and Tim Felstead. Jamie Donaldson and Syed Mahmood took one wicket apiece.
When Trojans batted their first four batsmen only contributed six runs between them before being dismissed with Chandhole taking 3 wickets, and when the 4th wicket fell at 29, 19 of their runs had come in the form of wides and leg byes.  However then Syed Mahmood added 34 valuable runs for the 4th wicket before Mahmood was out for 15.  Two further wickets fell to leave Trojans 82 for 7, 46 runs away from victory.
Captain Piero Perera then added 36 valuable runs with Bhome before Chandhoke who had returned to the attack had him caught behind for 11 to claim his 5th wicket of the innings.  Bhome then completed his 50 before the dramatic final over of the match and he finished 51 not out.

SWAY continue to thrive in their first season in Southern Premier League cricket, marching into second place thanks to a fine 196-run home win over Basingstoke & North Hants seconds.
An extraordinary 127 from David Steadman and 72 from Will Crossley helped set an imposing 325 target. However, the hosts' heroics were far from done, with Hugh Bernard snatching four wickets in the one-sided win.
With Sway rocking at 2-2 after losing skipper Tim Noble (1) and Jon Grasham (0), Crossley and Steadman set up camp, adding a sublime 188 runs for the second wicket.
When the former finally succumbed, Basingstoke & North Hants' misery was far from over, with Bernard (63) and Steadman sharing a 43-run stand to take the score to 233-4.
Sway saw out their overs to finish on 325 thanks to the valuable contributions of Greg Jones (22) and Oscar Marshall (15).
The hosts had the wind in their sails, and their cause was helped further by Jon Waller (2-37), who took the first two wickets, bowling Laurence Benge before having Chris Froud caught by Steadman to leave the visitors on 35-2.
With Basingstoke on 102-4, Bernard tore through the middle order, snaring four wickets for 24 runs to reduce the besieged opposition to 124-8. His victim list included Josh Coombs (23), Mathew Thankachan (8), Harry Smith (0) and Tyler Bradley (1).
Ultimately, Basingstoke fell 196 runs short, with the other wicket-takers Neil Prince (2-5), Tobias Ramwell (1-27) and Steadman (1-27).

Gosport Borough’s Tyrel Chicot kept Purbrook rooted to the foot of the Southern Premier League’s fourth tier with a five-wicket haul.
The St Lucian seamer bagged 5-41 to take his seasonal tally to 15 and put himself in a three-way tie for the Division 3 leading wicket-taker award.
Chicot took four of the first five wickets to fall as Purbrook slumped to 52-5 after being inserted.
Then, after skipper Brad Mengham (36) and Alex Cox (28) had added 68 for the sixth wicket, the last five home wickets fell for the addition of just 10 runs as they were dismissed  for 130.  Jubin Karippai (2-7 off five overs) and stand-in captain spinner Jack Richards (2-29) were also among the wickets.
Mark Toogood then dealt mainly in boundaries as Gosport raced to a seven-wicket win.  The former Royal Navy batsman thumped 14 fours - hitting 56 of his 62 runs in boundaries and sharing a 99-run stand for the first wicket with Greg Kitchin (36).
Hamid Khan took 2-40 off six overs as Gosport won off the final ball of the 22nd over.  As a result, the situation for Purbrook is already looking tough. They are stranded at the foot of the table, 47 points adrift of third bottom Trojans - and the bottom two are relegated to the Hampshire League.

South Wilts seconds are eyeing a win over their Basingstoke & North Hants counterparts at May’s Bounty to ensure they remain in a safe mid-table slot in Southern Premier Division 3.  After seven rounds of matches they lie sixth in the log, 23 points ahead of Basingstoke who are in the second from bottom relegation position.
A four-wicket defeat by Havant didn’t help South Wilts’ cause, the visitors easing past their hosts 225-6 with an over to spare.
Joe Cranch (56), above, hit a half-century for South Wilts and was supported by Rob Pitman (30) and Tom Bolam (26), but it needed a breezy knock from Nick Partridge to give them a potentially defendable total.  Partridge smashed three sixes in a quick fire 35 off only 14 balls to give South Wilts a valuable additional batting bonus point.
But Havant returned fire on Partridge, whose five overs went for a costly 38 runs, with Andrew Galliers (67) and Alex Wilkinson (20) teeing off.  James Brewer took 4-30 to stem the tide, but fifth-wicket pair Oli Jones (43) and Harrison Barnard (35) produced a key fifty-plus stand to guide Havant into a winning position.

Matt Benfield smashed his own record for the highest innings ever recorded by a Portsmouth & Southsea batter in the Southern Premier League.
The opener cracked an unbeaten 148 as P & S underlined their promotion credentials with a seventh successive Division 3 victory.
A 27-run win over Langley Manor sees P & S 28 points clear of Sway at the top of the table, while they are now 39 points clear of third place Langley - the top two go up automatically.
Benfield was already on 47 not out when Jack Davies joined him with the score on 90.  The pair added 163 for the third wicket before Davies - the leading run scorer in the SPL fourth tier this season - departed after hitting seven fours and four sixes in a 55-ball 74.
There was no stopping Benfield, though, who ended two short of his 150 after cracking 18 fours and three sixes off 145 balls at St James Park. 
Jack Budd (67) and Conor Browne )47) began with a 114-run stand for Langley Manor, who then lost five wickets for 31 runs. Steve Harris (58) responded as the visitors closed on 246-9, Benfield (2-37) was one of four P & S bowlers to take two wickets, alongside Keiron Dunstan (2-30), Jono Willey (2-41) and Ben Saunders (2-46).

​A 184-run opening partnership between Glyn Treagus and Hampshire Under-15 starlet Sam Ashman paved the way to Andover’s 54-run win over the Southern Premier League Division 2’s bottom club St Cross Symondians II at London Road.
Treagus (left) hit 15 fours in his 97, his highest score since making 102 against Hook & Newnham Basics in September 2018, while the promising Ashman made 85 before Babu Veettil belted a late 46 off 27 balls, including three sixes. 
Oli Sandercock took 5-50 for St Cross, who came back with a respectable 244, Jason Laney hitting a classy 79, Matt Swann 44 and Dylan Clarke a lively 40, which included three maximums.
A close encounter in the New Forest saw Fair Oak scrape home by three wickets in their Southern Premier Division 2 match at Bashley (Rydal) II.  
Oaks captain Gregor McKenzie put the home side in to bat, but although wickets fell at regular intervals, the home side showed consistency with the bat.  Alex Turner made 40, James Trodd and Phil Morris 29 apiece, Saif Achakzai 32, Simon Morris 35 and James Edmunds an unbeaten 26 as Bashley posted a challenging 229-8. McKenzie took 2-37, but was again eclipsed by Ben Smith, whose ten overs earnt him 3 wickets for 31.  Rhys Oxley took 2-33 to set up an intriguing second-half contest.
Smith, promoted to open for the first time, made a promising 17 alongside Harry Reed (25) as Oaks built a solid response.  Tom Clark, also promoted – but from the 2nd XI after a superb century last week – made a good impression at the higher level with 43.  A typically aggressive 65 from skipper McKenzie put Oaks in the comfort zone at 190 for 3.  
But with Bash new ball bowler George Wilson claiming 3 for 45, there were still a few bumps in the road for the visitors.  Fair Oak wobbled at 190-6 and 214-7, but Oxley and Phil Smith saw them home with an intrepid unbroken eighth-wicket stand.  Oaks won by 3 wickets with one over to spare.
Tom May enjoyed instant success in his debut role as new Hook & Newnham Basics second team captain, visiting Fawley being beaten by five wickets.
Ollie May (4-10) and birthday boy Rupert Armstrong (4-38) shared eight of the wickets as lowly Premier 2 opponents Fawley were hurried out for 114, having lost half their wickets for 23. Bailey Parratt (36) and Callum Earl (23) at least gave Fawley something to defend.   Charlie Neville hit 51 and May himself 26 as Hook celebrated a five-wicket win.

Hartley Wintney bowlers were savaged by 21-year old South African Matt de Villiers as Hambledon gorged themselves in a 398-run Southern Premier Division 2 fest on the Cricket Green.
A leading run scorer for Claremont in the Western Province Premier League in Cape Town, De Villiers smashed 168 and set up a seventh successive win for Hambledon by 148 runs.   Hartley Wintney made 250 in reply.
The Hambledon innings contained 17 sixes and 35 boundaries, with left-hand opener George Marshall hitting 108 and sharing an enormous 230-run second-wicket stand with the South African.
That a six partnership was only ended when Marshall was run out after scoring 108 off 106 balls with 14 fours and.
De Villiers ended up smashing 11 sixes and 12 fours in his 111-ball assault on the home bowlers before he departed - but not before he had hit the highest SPL score since South Wilts IIs Joe Cranch struck 185 not out in a Division 3 fixture in 2019.
With Henry Glanfield slapping 37 off 21 balls, Hambledon closed on a stunning 398-6 off 50 overs.
Hartley used eight bowlers in an unsuccessful attempt to stem the run tide, but at least their batsmen, knowing the game was all but lost, responded with 250 all out and so achieved maximum batting bonus points.
Shell shocked, they quickly slipped to 28-3 before recovering through a blistering 77 off 34 balls by James Mulvey (eight sixes)), Hugo Hammond (44), Danny Nightingdale (40) and Will Ross (37).
Hambledon are 16 points clear at the top - a total which would be 36 had they not had 20 deducted for a close-season administrative error relating to their Under-19 colts teams.

ROWLEDGE, who top Southern Premier Division 1 after winning six of their seven matches.
Standing (from left): Ashley-Lee Harvey, Will Ryman, Jake Wish, Zach LeRoux, Oli Ryman, Ryan Littlewood. Seated: David Lloyd, Ricky Yates, Ben Wish, Oli Baker, Richard Forbes.

​​​Seventeen years old Ryan Littlewood rightly took the plaudits as Rowledge twice recovered from uncertain positions in a run chase to beat Ventnor by four wickets in their top of the table duel at School Road and so extend their lead at the top of Southern Premier Division One.
The youngster hit an outstanding 59 not out under pressure as Rowledge recovered from 83-5 to overhaul a Ventnor score of 208. His unbroken 73-run partnership with David Lloyd was a match winner.
Ventnor looked to be positive in the early stages, but despite scoring at a decent rate, the visitors would lose their top three batsmen in the first 11 overs, finding themselves 57-3. The aggressive Rob Snell departed early and, crucially, Ollie Baker removed the dangerous Sri Lankan Dineth Thimodya, the league’s top run scorer, for just 14. 
Baker and David Lloyd brought some much-needed control for Rowledge, bowling in their typical economical fashion, as the experienced Martin Blackman and Hugh Calloway looked to repel some accurate bowling and rebuild the Ventnor innings. 
Calloway was then run out at the non-striker’s end in unfortunate fashion, the ball deflecting off Baker (2-38) off his own bowling and into the stumps.

Blackman was joined by Ross Whyte (46) who, despite initially looking scratchy, unleashed some powerful strokes to accelerate towards the back end of the innings. 
Blackman continued to accumulate and, just as he looked set to accelerate, he miscued a sweep shot and was smartly held by Ben Wish off the bowling of the ever-impressive Baker for a patient 50.
Whyte was then removed by Ash-Lee Harvey and, just as Ventnor looked to unleash an onslaught to build a big score, Rowledge kept their composure well. They fielded exceptionally, fought to prevent every run, and took regular wickets to conclude the innings in the ascendancy, bowling Ventnor out for 208. 
Harvey, Littlewood, and Will Ryman (back from Durham University) all impressed with the ball in the final stages. 
Amid darkening skies and increasingly blustery winds, Rowledge’s reply got off to a disastrous start, losing their top three with just 20 runs on the board, South African Harvey and Jake Wish falling in consecutive balls to Zach Wells.. 
Baker (23) and Zac Le Roux came together, weathered the storm, and brought some much-needed stability. 
Le Roux looked in particularly excellent touch yet again, confident and dismissive against anything short-pitched. The pair compiled a crucial 57-run partnership to drag Rowledge out of a tough position before falling in quick succession to leave the score at 83-5 to leave the match still very much in Ventnor’s favour. 
                                                       Real risks
​The youthful pairing of Olly Ryman (28) and Ryan Littlewood (left) then combined to progress the Rowledge innings. 
Running excellently between the wickets, they put on just shy of 50 and scored at well above the run rate without taking any real risks. 
The pair had put the pressure back on Ventnor, resulting in a period of erratic fielding, chaotic overthrows and wayward bowling, which gifted crucial runs to Rowledge. However, when Ryman fell for a brisk 28, miscuing a full toss to Thimodya, the game was thrown right back in the balance. 
Littlewood, who is studying Economics and Maths at A-level  had been patient and reeled in his attacking instincts to this point and, though there was no need to increase the run rate, there was a danger that more wickets could cause real havoc in the Rowledge ranks. 
Fortunately, Lloyd proved the perfect man for the occasion. The pair showed exceptional composure, patiently seeing off a tricky spell, and subsequently punishing the loose deliveries when they came. 
Lloyd and Littlewood guided Rowledge to victory unscathed with just over three overs to spare. Lloyd compiled a well-made 25, but Littlewood was the star, finishing with an outstanding 59 not out in a high-pressure situation. 
This continues his excellent start to the season in which he has provided significant contributions with bat, ball and in the field. 

Parley and Bournemouth raised Gloucestershire left-arm pace bowler David Payne made his One Day International debut for England in the eight-wicket win against the Netherlands in Amstelveen.
He took a tidy 1-38 off nine overs as the Netherlands were dismissed for 244.  He took the wicket of Dutch captain and top scorer Scott Edwards (64) caught by Jason Roy.  Former St Cross Symondians all-rounder Logan van Beek continues in the Holland side.  Jason Roy (101) and Josh Butler (86) blasted England home with 20 overs to spare.
Payne reflected: "It was an incredibly special day, that topped off another awesome experience and trip away with England. Thank you very much for all the messages of support while I was away. To fulfil a boyhood dream of representing my country, and be able to share it with friends and family, that was easily one of the best, and proudest, days of my life.' 
Aged 31-year old from Lytchett Minster, Payne has impressed in the T20 Blast, with 17 wickets in seven appearances for Gloucestershire this summer.
He cut his teeth in Dorset junior cricket and was a key member of the side which lifted the coveted ECB Under-15 Club Championship at Chapel Gate in 2006.  He later underlined his potential by joining neighbours Bournemouth and taking a combined 46 wickets in the 2008 and 2009 Southern Premier League seasons. His last game for Bournemouth came when they lifted the ECB Cockspur T20 Cup beating Nottinghamshire League side Cuckney in the final at Derby.

​Left-arm spinner Matt Bampton celebrated a career-best 6-34 as Old Tauntonians & Romsey leapfrogged over Waterlooville into the second promotion slot in Southern Premier Division 2 after beating their hosts by six wickets at Rowlands Avenue.
OTR’s fifth win on the trot leaves them 16 points adrift of unbeaten leaders Hambledon, the last team to beat them on May 14. 
It was only the second time 24-years old Bampton has taken five wickets or more in an SPL match since making his debut in 2016, though he now has 145 scalps dangling from his belt.
He opened the bowling at Rowlands Avenue - skipper Charlie King employed five separate spinners – and achieved immediate success by bowling Ville’s Gab Broadhurst.
Archie Reynolds (58) and Kiwi Josh McGregor (30) progressed Waterlooville’s score into treble figures when, at 122-3, Bampton really began to make his presence felt, talking the next five wickets before Alex Shephard (32) piloted his side to 197-8.
New ball pair Jon Hudson and Josh McCoy each struck as OTs slipped to 22-2 in reply, losing Pete Newman second ball and Hakim Peruzi soon after.
But skipper Charlie King (67 not out) and opener Joe Vaughan (41) put on 76 for the third wicket, before Harry Tulk (38 not out) helped his captain add a further 74 for the fourth.
Rob Newman then took 16 off the 47th over - bowled by Hudson - before victory was secured when Tim Jackson delivered a no ball off the first delivery of the 49th over.

HAMPSHIRE SIXTIES, beaten by six wickets by 2021 National champions Kent at St Helen's.
Standing (from left): Kevin Weeks, Nick Board, Chris Yates, Barry Goodman, Tim Joy, Rick Marston. Front: Andre Manders, Martin Shephard, Neil Trestrail, Geoff Beale, Neil Sutherland.

Hampshire Seniors continue to prop up the National Sixties League South table after a six-wicket defeat by table topping Kent, who celebrated a sixth win in seven.
Lymington's Neil Trestrail (43) and Neil Sutherland (38) gave Hampshire a purposeful start, which Geoff Beale's unbeaten 55 improved. But Hampshire's 205-8 was always 50 or so short of a competitive total.
Half-centuries by Chris Swadkin (who likes facing the Hampshire bowling) and Keith Sawyer eased Kent home.
Next up on the Seniors' calendar is a 70s match against Somerset at Twyford (Thursday, 1pm), Surrey 60s (Sparsholt, next Tuesday), then 50s v Isle of Wight at Bashley (Rydal) on Wednesday.

Ventnor, who lie third in Division 1 after seven rounds of Southern Premier League matches.
Standing (from left): Fiona Newnham (manager), Will Mew, Zach Wells, Hugh Calloway, Umar Tarar, Dineth Thimodya, Ross Whyte. Seated: Zeph Wells, Charlie Calloway, Ben Woodhouse, Martin Blackman, Rob Snell.

Portsmouth, leaders just a few weeks ago, have slipped to fourth bottom spot in Southern Premier Division One after losing by three wickets at home to Calmore Sports.
With captain and lead run-scorer Ben Duggan lapping up his favourite band Madness at the Isle of Wight Festival, Jack Marston took on the Portsmouth captaincy duties at St Helens.   But he saw his side bowled out for 145.
Former Fareham & Crofton batter Dan Wimble (31) and Marston (29) were the top scorers, while Oxford Blue Ben Fisher and spinner Ben Perry both returned 3-28.
Portsmouth hit back with the ball, and would have fancied their chances still when Calmore fell to 119-7 (Ben Johns 52), Rakshith Rao taking 2-20 off his 10 overs).
But Perry (13 not out) and Mitchell Parker (12 not out) held their nerve to guide the 2021 national Village Cup winners to victory in the 47th over.   Portsmouth News