Australia is bracing itself for a mini-invasion of Southern Premier League cricketers, three of whom from South Wilts are on the brink of touching down in Melbourne after a jet lag guaranteed day-long flight.
Ben Draper and Luke Evans are set to join the Victoria sub-district club Parkside, while pace bowler Ryan Murray will be looking to build up a head of steam in the outback.
Also on his way to Melbourne is Lymington all-rounder Ryan Scott, who is joining Norwood, near Ringwood, on the eastern extremities of the city.
Calmore Sports left-hander Ben Johns is spending the winter at the affluent seaside resort of Brighton, while Portsmouth left-hand opener Ben Duggan has left his Isle of Wight base to play Suburban Turf Competition cricket for WACA club Melville.
New Milton teen Raff Hussey flies to Adelaide next week to link up with the Darren Lehmann Academy, while Havant’s Harry Gadd is spending the winter in New Zealand.

Former South Africa Under-19 captain Sibz Makhanya, who played ECB Southern Premier League cricket for Basingstoke & North Hants this summer, made an innings saving 86 for Dolphins in the opening four-day CSA provincial match against Titans at Centurion Park.
The Durham side were in trouble at 116-5 when Makhanya arrived at the crease to hit 86 (two sixes and ten fours) and steer Dolphins to 269 all out.
Titans (308) took a 39-run first innings lead before dismissing Dolphins for 315 in their second knock, leaving themselves 276 to win. Titans closed 244-8, having been set 276 to win.
Makhanya made 297 SPL runs for Basingstoke, including an unbeaten 111 against South Wilts, and took 16 wickets.

Applications remain open until midnight Sunday 30 September at this link - https://bit.ly/2wD6F9N - for those wishing to apply to become volunteers at the 2019 Cricket World Cup. 
There are 5 ICC World Cup matches at Hampshire Cricket’s Ageas Bowl next June 5,10,14, 22 & 24. 
There is more information about the opportunity on the ECB website: https://bit.ly/2wy7VvC.  Applicants must be aged 18 or over on 20 May 2019 and have the right to work in the UK.

Championship winning Sparsholt captain Jeremy Frith came within touching distance of landing both the Southern Premier League Division 2 batting and bowling prizes.
Having finished second to St Cross Symondians II skipper Paul Hawkins in 2017, Frith headed the batting charts with 756 runs – he hit 144 against St Cross and 127 v Trojans – but was pipped by Matt Perry-Lewis (35 wickets) as he strove to win the bowling award for the second consecutive season. 
Frith was favourite to land the award going into the final round of matches, but he managed to bowl only three overs at the Totton & Eling tail after the Eels lost their first six wickets for only nine runs.  He ended the season with 33 wickets (six fewer than in 2017), but with a championship winners medal as consolation !
A clean sweep of the SPL2 awards by Winchester cricketers was complete when Symondians’ stumper Robbie Hadfield finished top of the wicket-keeping charts with 23 victims.
Division 2
Batting: Jeremy Frith (Sparsholt) 756, Tom Allam (Tichborne Park) 742, David Banks (Sparsholt) 618, Conor Browne (Langley Manor) 617, Paul Hawkins (St Cross Symondians II) 575, Cameron Grierson (Paultons) 568, Matt Deadman (Basingstoke & North Hants II) 517, Michael Haworth (Sparsholt) 502.
Bowling: Matt Perry-Lewis (St Cross Symondians II) 35, Jerry Frith (Sparsholt) 33, Rakitha Perera (Basingstoke & North Hants II) 33, Liam Doran (Sparsholt) 32, Andrew Denney (Paultons) 30, Kieran Geyle (Totton & Eling) 27, Jack Murrell (Paultons) 27, Archie Reynolds (Waterlooville) 27, David Banks (Sparsholt) 26, Jake Wish (Rowledge) 25.
Golden Gloves: Robbie Hadfield (St Cross Symondians II) 23, Ben Wish (Rowledge) 18, Nigel le Bas (Trojans) 18.
Safe hands: Paul Hawkins (St Cross Symondians II) 12, David Lloyd (Rowledge) 12, Oli Perrin (Totton & Eling) 12.

St Cross Symondians talent Harry Came has signed a two-year professional contract with Hampshire – and not Kent for whom he rattled off a succession of Second XI centuries this summer.
The 20-year old from Old Basing had offers from both counties, but chose his home county Hampshire, where he has come through the junior age group ranks, playing a key part in the Under-17s ECB County Championship victory three seasons ago.
Came has been in phenomenal form since coming down from Bradfield, winning the Southern Premier League’s Young Cricketer award in 2017 and playing a lead role in St Cross Symondians’ championship triumph this season.
He put himself firmly in the shop window with a series of hundreds for Kent in mid-summer and looked to be headed to Canterbury, but instead chose Hampshire, where he will begin training in November.

Jack Davies had never previously scored a league century for Portsmouth & Southsea’s first team, but made up for lost time by scoring three hundreds which helped him win the Southern Premier League Division 3 batting award.
Davies’ 642 run tally included centuries against Lymington II (137), Havant II (104) and Bashley (Rydal II), his only previous ton having come in 2010 in a Hampshire League Regional Division 1 South match at Hyde.  He also hit three half-centuries.
Award winning Fair Oak left-arm spinner Charlie Gwynn became the second SPL3 player in six seasons to notch 40-wickets, helping to bowl the Oaks to the championship in the process. 
His haul included a season’s best 5-19 against Fawley, with his 40 wickets coming at an average of 11 and the third best economy rate of 2.92 behind Hambledon’s Ian Turner and Chris Turrell (Portsmouth & Soiuthsea).
South Wilts II gloveman Sam Pittman became a wicket-keeping award winner for a third time, with his 25 wickets, one more than Hambledon’s Will Bond.
Batting: Jack Davies (Portsmouth & Southsea) 642, Josh McCoy (Purbrook) 584, Matt Benfield (Portsmouth & Southsea) 526, Gregor McKenzie (Fair Oak) 482, Henry Glanfield (Hambledon) 467, Tom Pearce (South Wilts II) 456, Syed Agha (Lyminton II) 454.
Bowling: Charlie Gwynn (Fair Oak) 40, Adam Freeman (Fawley) 34, Wayne Smith (Fawley) 33, Henry Glanfield (Hambledon) 31, Josh McCoy (Purbrook) 30, Rob Pittman (South Wilts II) 29, Aaron Dean (Purbrook) 28, Rufus Bullough (Fair Oak) 27, Ross Stewart (Fair Oak) 27, Ian Turner (Hambledon) 27.
Golden Gloves: Sam Pittman (South Wilts II) 25, Will Bond (Hambledon) 24, Kieran Earl (Fawley) 23, Simon Loat (Havant II) 22, Richard Featherstone (Fair Oak) 21.
Safe hands: Bailey Parratt (Fawley) 14, Shaun Briggs (Portsmouth & Southsea) 13, Henry Glanfield (Hambledon) 13.

Nono Pongolo starred with bat and ball as Gauteng clinched the Africa T20 Cup final for the first time with a tense three-wicket win over Border in the Heritage Day final in East London on Monday.
The 29-year-old, who cut his teeth in senor cricket for Ventnor and Hambledon in the Southern Premier League,  first claimed a career-best three for 20, before top scoring with a telling unbeaten 30 to take his side over the line, chasing 131 in a low-scoring affair at Buffalo Park.
Pongolo’s performance undid another brilliant all-round effort in the game from rookie Bamanye Xengxe, who first thumped an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes) and then claimed an exceptional three for 27 – both best efforts of his young career.
However, it was not enough as the visiting side celebrated the 2018 crown by getting across the line with four balls to spare.
The day had begun disappointingly for Border after they lost the toss and were put in to bat first. Their star man and competition’s outstanding batsman of this season, Marco Marais (who played for Alton this past summer), who smashed unbeaten scores of 103, 106 and 75 in the group stage last week and then plundered 64 in the semi-final on Sunday, fell for a first-ball duck to Carmi le Roux (1/24).
His reliable co-opener, Gihahn Cloete, also lost his wicket first ball, dismissed by Nandre Burger who was the other star Gauteng bowler with three for 27, leaving the hosts on three for two.
Yaseen Vallie (two) and Jerry Nqolo (nine) followed to leave Border in a massive hole on 17 for four in the fourth over, before the middle order and tail gave them something to bowl at.
Xengxe, in his fifth game, led the way, with support coming from Standard Bank Proteas batsman Christiaan Jonker (37) as their side was dismissed with the final ball of the innings with 130 on the board
Despite the locals chipping away at wickets, the away side made solid enough progress early on during the chase thanks to Delano Potgieter (23) and Temba Bavuma (27).
But four wickets fell for 31 runs in the middle of the innings as Gauteng slipped from 48 for two to 79 for six. Xengxe was the chief destroyer, with support offered by Clayton Bosch (2/21) as Border threatened a twist.
But Pongolo found an able partner in Carmi le Roux (23) to take the match by the scruff of the neck, with the former then clubbing a six at the start of the final over when seven were needed to settle the contest and seal the win.

Teenage South Wilts all-rounder Jack Stearman was named Wiltshire’s Player of the Year after a season which, according to county manager Tom Morton, “he progressed beyond all expectations within such a short space of time.”
“His award for Wiltshire is very much in recognition for someone whose rise within one cricket season is quite remarkable. Jack certainly has a bright cricketing future ahead,” praised Morton, who promoted Stearman into South Wilts’ ECB Southern Premier Division side before the season ended.
Stearman, who hails from Chilmark, a small village 11 miles south-west of Salisbury, is studying Russian as one of his A-level subjects at Gillingham School.
He began the season playing in South Wilts fourth team, knocking up an unbeaten 145 in his first competitive match, a Hampshire League Regional North West 1 victory over OTs & Romsey IV at East Tytherley.
Promoted to the third team a week later, he made 113 not out at East Woodhay and, come August, was in South Wilts’ first team, making a maiden SPL century against the Hampshire Academy on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.
“Jack has always been a regular Wiltshire county junior player within his own age group, regularly contributing with bat and in recent seasons the ball too. This past summer was very much a coming of age season,” Morton added.
“Having been involved in the EPP during the winter months, he was already on the radar and went on to make an unbeaten 122 for Wiltshire Under-17s against Dorset and, after he’d made that century against the Academy, was selected for his Minor Counties Championship debut against Oxfordshire.
At 17 years of age, Stearman is the youngest player to receive Wiltshire’s Player of the Year award.

 

Skipper Charles Janczur admitted that  big match nerves got to his batsmen in front of a near 2,000 crowd and led to a disappointing 72-run defeat for Liphook & Ripsley by Folkton & Flixton in the National Village Cup final at Lord’s.
Liphook batted in a rather reckless fashion and were dismissed for 126 after the North Yorkshire winners had recovered from 59-4 to post a competitive 198-8 at the Home of Cricket.
Ironically, the day could hardly have begun better for the East Hampshire side, who won the toss and put Flixton into bat in favourable early morning bowling conditions.
It was a departure from Liphook’s well rehearsed plan to bat first, but as the final progressed they found the tables turned.
“It was always going to be bat first, but when we got to the nets the ball was hooping and seaming around everywhere, there was cloud over the top and there was a tinge of green on the strip itself, so there was a quick change of mind,” Janczur
“We knew Flixton wanted to bowl first as they had chased successfully seven times out of the eight rounds they had negotiated.”
Lord’s finals in September would not be the same without the ball ‘doing a bit’ early on, and Folkton & Flixton found themselves in early trouble at 19-2 and later 59-4.
The first two wickets fell to Janczur (2-19), and the sight of them will live long in his memory - first Stu Stocks’ middle stump and then the leg stump of opening partner Richard Malthouse uprooted.

George Neave (3-39), feisty as ever, worked up a fair pace bowling from the pavilion end, making things uncomfortable for the batsmen and accounting for the Norman brothers, Tom (19) and captain Will (2) the fourth wicket a stunning catch at gully by Suman Ganguly.
Flixton rebuilt with a fine stand of 85 between Matthew Nesfield (60) and teenage prospect Will Hutchinson (48), both strong off the legs.
Harry Walmsley, a lorry driver, gave the innings a rousing finish with 35 off only 17 balls, including a magnificent straight six into the sightscreen in front of the pavilion.
The eloquent Janczur reflected: “We started really well and kept the run-rate down.
“When we had them 59-4, I didn’t want them to get above 180, but their fifth-wicket boys got stuck down, which is something we didn’t do.  They took their time, waited for the bad ball and capitalised.
“We were content at half-time. We expected to chase that. No offence to them but we probably faced better attacks in the quarter- and semi-finals, but Flixton held their nerve and the pressure on the day got to our batsmen.”
A total of 198 in 40 overs looked about par, but L&R made a rip-roaring start, at eight an over.
Lynchpin Ryan Covey, around whom Liphook generally build their innings, pulled his first ball to the mid-wicket boundary, but soon feathered a catch behind [17-1]
                                                                                   Confusion
Liphook batted in T20 style and by the end of the fourth over had 39 on the electronic scoreboard when Rob Nicklin dollied the first of four catches to Malthouse and perished to 16-year old Jack Hatton, who on most Sunday afternoons this autumn will be found catching up on his GCSE coursework.
There was also some confusion when Harry Munt (16) looked to have been given out stumped, but the square-leg umpire cleared up the confusion by saying he has was pointing that the batsman was in, not sticking his finger in the air. Munt was reprieved, but perished soon after, a second victim for the influential Connor Stephenson, who won a leg before decision from the same umpire.
Liphook lost a fourth key wicket (55-4) next ball when Neave, racked by nerves, spooned up a straightforward catch to cover.  It was now left to Ganguly and Grant Rouse, who added 20 before the all-rounder was bowled by Tom Norman, Flixton’s stand-out bowler.
The off-spinner took a wicket in each of his first two overs before removing Grant Rouse (25), who (apart from 29 extras) top scored as Liphook sank to a disappointing 126 all out.
Janczur (14) was able to show off some batting prowess before the end, while last man Dave Elliott remained undefeated, having made his indelible mark (on the outfield) earlier in the lay, uprooting a square-foot of the hallowed turf in making a stop at third-man. Retiring Lord’s curator Mick Hunt almost had a fit, leaving incoming  Rose Bowl groundsman Carl McDermott will an autumn headache about how the repair the damage ahead of the 2019 ICC World Cup.
But at least it brought a smile to everyone’s faces and, the result apart, brought an end to a simply marvellous day in Liphook & Ripsley’s history. The Village Cup remained in Yorkshire custody for a fifth successive year, but that statistic is unlikely to take away a great memory shared by Liphook and their supporters.

Lord's: Folkton & Flixton 198-8, Liphook & Ripsley 126 - Folkton & Flixton won by 72 runs

Yorkshire’s recent domination of The Cricketer Village Cup continueds, with Folkton & Flixton crowned 2018 champions at Lord’s thanks to a dominant display with the ball.
Folkton & Flixton are adjoining villages that lie at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds, near Scarborough, and the club brought a sizeable, vocal contingent of fans to the capital.
Known as ‘Benidorm Corner’ they cheered and sang as their side restricted Liphook & Ripsley, also newcomers to Lord’s, to 126 all out, to win by 72 runs.
The Yorkshiremen were disappointed to lose the toss, as they had chased successfully seven times in this season’s 47th Village Cup, out of the eight rounds they had negotiated.
Lord’s finals in September would not be the same without the ball ‘doing a bit’ early on, and Folkton & Flixton found themselves at 59 for four. The first two wickets fell to Liphook & Ripsley captain Charles Janczur, and the sight of them will live long in his memory - first middle stump and then leg stump uprooted.
The fourth wicket fell thanks to a stunning catch at gully by Suman Ganguly.
F&F rebuilt with a fine stand of 85 between Matthew Nesfield, who made 60, and Will Hutchinson, who scored 48. Both were strong off the legs. Nesfield is a gamekeeper and Hutchinson is a sixth-former.
Harry Walmsley, a lorry driver who, like Hutchinson is a lifelong club stalwart, gave the innings a rousing finish with 35 off only 17 balls, including a magnificent straight six into the sightscreen in front of the pavilion. Janczur, who bowls off the wrong foot, finished with 2-19 from eight, Ganguly took 2-37, and the feisty youngster George Neave recorded figures of 3-39.
A total of 198 in 40 overs looked about par, but L&R made a rip-roaring start, at eight an over. They seemed to think it was T20, but three wickets for Connor Stephenson gave them a mountain to climb.
Wickets kept tumbling, and at 55 for four, and 99 for seven they looked doomed. There was some reckless batting, with nerves no doubt playing a part. There was also some confusion when Harry Munt looked to have been given out stumped, but the square-leg umpire cleared up the confusion by saying he has was pointing that the batsman was in, not sticking his finger in the air. Munt was reprieved, but perished soon after.
Off-spinner Tom Norman was the stand-out bowler, taking a wicket in each of his first two overs. He then removed danger man Grant Rouse, brother of Kent’s Adam. Throughout he bowled with wonderful flight and accuracy, finishing with 3-18. He had also been a hero in the semi-final, scoring 47. Richard Malthouse also bowled tidily, taking 1-18 in his eight overs.
About 300 sides from 32 regions all over the British Isles entered the Village Cup, organised and run by The Cricketer magazine since the competition’s inception in 1972.
Although Sessay lost the final last year, they won in 2016, and the two years before that were won by Woodhouse Grange, who have won the Village Cup a record four times. No wonder ‘Benidorm Corner’ chanted ‘Yorkshire! Yorkshire!' as they celebrated in the September sunshine.
F&F captain Will Norman said: “We desperately wanted to bowl first, and at 59 for four we were a bit nervous. Matthew and Will rescued us. My brother Tom bowled beautifully. In big games he stands up. The more pressure you put on, the better he bowls. We are a small village but because our ground is so good we can attract players. In April I didn’t think we’d make this. I started daring to dream in the last-16 tie when we knocked off 270 against Broadbottom, nine down, the last-wicket pair putting on 40.”
Asked why Yorkshire do so well in this competition, he said: “It’s in Yorkshiremen’s blood, we just love it.”
The eloquent Janczur said: “We started really well, we kept the run-rate down. I didn’t want them to get above 180, but their fifth-wicket boys got stuck down, which is something we didn’t do.
“We were content at half-time. We expected to chase that. No offence to them but we probably faced better attacks in the quarter- and semi-finals, but they held their nerve and the pressure on the day got to our batsmen. It has been an unbelievable day, though, and we have the incentive to come back next year.”
* Report reproduced by kind permission of the Cricketer magazine.

North Yorkshire side Flixton recovered from 59-4 to post an eventual 198-8  against Liphook & Ripsley in the Village Cup final at Lord’s, where over 2,500 are watching from the Mound Stand.
Two early strikes by Has Janczur (2-19) had Flixton wobbling before George Neave, generating pace from the pavilion end, took two more.
But the Yorkies hit back with Will Hutchinson (48) and Matt Nesfield (60) reshaped the innings with an 85-run stand.
Harry Walmsley made 35 off 17 balls before being trapped leg before by Ganguly (2-37) in the last over (197-8).

South African Marco Marais experienced a disappointing season with Alton, scoring only 164 runs in ten Southern Premier League knocks, but he’s back to his big hitting best in his native country, blasting his second century in 24 hours as Border trounced Mpumalanga by nine wickets in the Africa T20 Cup to give themselves hope of reaching the semis.
After hitting 103 not out against Namibia on day one, the right-hander thumped an unbeaten 106 (55 balls, 7 fours, 8 sixes) to take his team to their 176 target with 15 balls to spare.
Marais is growing into a T20 superstar after making global headlines last season when he smashed the fastest triple century in first-class cricket history from only 191 balls.
Marais then produced another devastating innings when he smashed 75 off 34 balls (10 fours, 3 sixes) in an eight-wicket over Kenya.

Liphook & Ripsley could be cheered on by as many as 500 fans at Lord’s in Sunday’s National Village Cup final against Flixton.
“Interest locally is amazing, with people flocking to the final by car, bus, coach and a potentially packed Sunday morning train,” enthused Liphook skipper Charles Janczur.
“To say its exciting is an understatement. None of us imagined we’d be in a Lord’s final when the run started with that narrow win at Sparsholt five months ago.
“But it’s going to be a very special day for everyone and we naturally want to make it count.”
Liphook followers will see a full strength side emerge from the historic Long Room and down on to the hallowed turf, with batsman/wicketkeeper Grant Rouse (left) added to the side that beat Mayfield in the semi-finals.
The inclusion of Rouse frees up Harry Munt to bat at three and bowl his spin stuff alongside the evergreen Dave Elliott.
Flixton expect to field four Under-17s in their line-up, including Jack Hatton, who at 15 years of age has only just begun his GCSE year at school and will probably be the youngest cricketer to ever play in an adult Lord’s final.
Flixton set off on the 250-mile trek from their Scarborough base early on Saturday morning, boosted by the fact that Yorkshire sides have won numerous Village Cup finals at Lord’s in recent seasons.
Flixton: R Malthouse, S Stocks, T Norman, W Hutchinson, W Norman, M Nesfield, H Walmsley, J Hatton, C Stephenson, J Nesfield, M Ward.
Liphook & Ripsley: Ryan Covey, Rob Nicklin, Harry Munt, Suman Ganguly, George Neave, Grant Rouse, Jonny Pryce, Richard Williams, Sean Burton, Charles Janczur (capt), Jamie Hall, Chris Martin, Dave Elliott.
* Gates open at 10am, with play starting at 11am.

Hampshire’s Karl McDermott has been appointed as the new Head Groundsman at Lord's and will replace Mick Hunt, who is retiring from the role after 49 seasons.
Karl began his career as Assistant Groundsman at Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin, before taking on the Head Groundsman role in 1997, with the venue going on to host an ICC World Cup Fixture in 1999.
He spent seventeen years at Clontarf, working on numerous international and domestic fixtures while winning the European ICC Groundsman of the Year award in 2007, before moving to Worcestershire as Assistant Groundsman.
He then took up the role of Deputy Head Groundsman at the Ageas Bowl in 2009, ahead of the ground’s first Test Match in 2011 between England and Sri Lanka.
Karl became Head Groundsman in 2016 following Nigel Gray's retirement, and recently presided over England's series-sealing Test Match victory against India.

Teenage New Milton batting prospect Raff Hussey is to spend the coming winter months enhancing his skills at the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy in Adelaide.
He flies to South Australia on October 10 and will spend six months at Lehmann’s High Performance Centre in Adelaide, where he will be played with a local Grade club.
Alongside Tom Arnold, Hussey (18) was New Milton’s stand out player in a miserable Southern Premier Division relegation season for the Green & Golds.
He made 357 runs, with top scores against Havant (70), champions St Cross Symondians (66) and runners-up Burridge (55).
After spending a gap year winter in Australia, Hussey will begin a three-year Sport & Exercise Science course at Loughborough University in September 2019.
Hussey explained that Milton’s overseas player in 2016 and 2017, David Wakefield had suggested he should enrol at Lehmann’s Academy.
“I trained with him a lot over his last year in particular, and David noticed I had some potential and thought that with high-level coaching there's a chance I could do fairly well.
“He had been there in the winter of 2015 and couldn't have spoken higher of it.”
Hussey knows he’s in for a demanding winter at Lehmann’s Academy, not only physically but also mentally.
“We’ll be training every day – most of the time in blistering heat – with plenty of emphasis on personal fitness and recovery,” he explained.
“There are individual skills sessions and, with training at the Grade club thrown in, probably around a dozen net practice sessions, so it’s very intensive.
“And that’s before we play cricket twice every weekend. ….”
Hussey is conscious of the fact that he will be away from his family for six months, but appreciates that a winter abroad will be great for character building, in advance of going to Loughborough.
He naturally hopes his winter in Adelaide will have a direct spin off when he returns to play Division One cricket for New Milton next summer.
“While I'm there I hope to improve my game mentally, physically and tactically to become a better all-round player - so I can be back in the Southern Premier League soon, despite this season’s relegation,” he smiled.

LIPHOOK & Ripsley will attempt to become the third Hampshire club to win the National Village Cup at Lord’s on Sunday, 11am.
It will be the biggest day in the club’s history and victory would ease the pain of being relegated from Division One of the Southern Premier League, writes Carl Obert, Sports Editor of the Farnham Herald.
But Charles Janczur’s players have tough opponents standing between them and the prized trophy. Scarborough-based Folkton & Flixton will doubtless play with characteristic Yorkshire grit, fresh from a solid season in the Yorkshire Premier League North (Premier Div), finishing fifth out of 12.
Folkton had a late dip in form, losing three of the last five games (their final fixture was cancelled last weekend). But it was nothing like the freefall experienced by Liphook who won only one of their last ten fixtures and have lost every game since their exceptional performance to beat East Sussex side Mayfield in the semi-finals on August 5.
“We have just not been able to replicate the Village Cup intensity, which has been frustrating,” said skipper Janczur.
But form tends to go out of the window in straight knockout matches and Liphook, at full-strength for the final, have players capable of competing with the very best at this level.
Suman Ganguly, who was unavailable for most of the league matches, is their outstanding all-rounder. If he doesn’t make runs in flamboyant style, he will take wickets with his whippy, accurate seam bowling – and he usually does both.
George Neave is a younger, more inconsistent all-rounder, but a player capable of turning a match in the blink of an eye. He can generate genuine pace, but often at the cost of line and length. As a batsmen, he possesses all the strokes and when he reins in his naturally aggressive instincts, can play with a rare assurance – as he did when making a brilliant 51 against Mayfield.
Ryan Covey, Rob Nicklin, Harry Munt and Ganguly are Liphook’s bankers at the top of the order – all capable of making a hundred on their day.
Seamers Janczur, with his considerable height, Ganguly and Sean Burton can be relied upon to bowl with economy and penetration.
Neave is more a potential shock-and-awe weapon; Covey, off a couple of paces, is normally the side’s main stock bowler; Dave Elliott is an experienced slow left-armer, renowned for his accuracy.
Longparish were the first Village Cup winners from Hampshire, back in 1987.  Hursley Park were champions in 1992. Rowledge, right on the Surrey/Hampshire border, reached the final in 1985, only to lose to Scottish side Freuchie on the fewer wickets lost rule, the scores having ended level.
Liphook, who have played an internal game as preparation, running through various game scenarios and drills, know little about their opponents, other than that Folkton & Flixton appear to be a relatively young side.
“It’s difficult to gauge much from Play-Cricket (the main league website),” said Charles Janczur. “The majority of their league season is not limited overs, which may hand us a slight advantage, and they have four members of the squad who will be 17 or younger, so it should be interesting how they cope on the day. They have chased seven rounds in a row, so it looks like we will know what they will do at the toss, which suits us.
“We do not have any spies. We are solely focused on honing our skills and making sure we replicate our performance from the semi-final against Mayfield, which was superb. This will be a very different scenario from the recent league games where we have been below our usual standard.”
Liphook have selected a squad of 13: Ryan Covey, Rob Nicklin, Harry Munt, Suman Ganguly, George Neave, Grant Rouse, Jonny Pryce, Richard Williams, Sean Burton, Charles Janczur (capt), Jamie Hall, Chris Martin, Dave Elliott.
Liphook’s path to the final:
1st Rnd (May 6) – A close call, Liphook winning by seven runs at Sparsholt, 2012 national quarter-finalists. Liphook totalled 186 with half-centuries by Ryan Covey (64) and Harry Munt (54). Covey (3-36) took the last wicket with Sparsholt closing in on victory.
2nd Rnd (May 13) – Liphook crush former winners Hursley Park. Ryan Covey (63) anchored the visitors’ innings, while Rob Nicklin (56) and Jack Campbell (59 not out) struck fast fifties in a total of 221-8. Off-spinner Dave Oliver (4-28) and seamer Sean Burton (3-37) bowled Liphook to victory. Hursley Park all out for 125.
3rd Rnd (May 27) – Liphook win by 3 wickets at Bramshaw. Spinner Dave Elliott took 4-47 as Bramshaw were contained to 185. Ryan Covey went on the attack with 51 off 46 balls and Harry Munt saw Liphook home with 72 not out as wickets tumbled at the other end.
4th Rnd (June 10) – Liphook beat Easton & Martyr Worthy by 8 wickets in the Hampshire regional
final.  With Sean Burton standing in for injured skipper Charles Janczur, the visitors were restricted to 166-8.  Ryan Covey then batted throughout Liphook’s innings for a chanceless 104 not out off 81 balls. Remarkably, it was his maiden competitive century.
5th Rnd (June 24) – Liphook reach last 16. Cookham Dean came to Ripsley Park as the Thames Valley League Division One leaders, but Suman Ganguly (4-20) and George Neave reduced them to 20-4 and they were shot out for 109. Liphook lost three wickets in knocking off the runs in 20 overs (Harry Munt 37 not out).
6th Rnd (July 8) – Liphook crush Oxford Downs, the Oxfordshire champions.
The middle-order pair of Suman Ganguly (87) and Grant Rouse (66) rescued Liphook from a poor start and Oxford Downs were set a target of 238 in front of a big crowd at Ripsley Park. 
The visitors fell behind the run-rate against accurate bowling and then spinners Harry Munt (3-34) and Dave Elliott (31) cashed in as the Cherwell League Division One leaders came up well short on 167.
Quarter-Final (July 22) – Liphook at their best.
North Perrott totalled a daunting 243-7, but the Somerset club’s wicket was a belter and Liphook lost only four wickets in getting the runs. Harry Munt (61 off 62 balls) and Suman Ganguly (51) set the platform for George Neave, batting with great maturity for 70 not out off 65 balls, and Ric Williams (26 not out) to see Liphook home with three overs to spare, Neave finishing the game with a six.
Semi-Final (August 5) – Liphook outclass Mayfield.
Liphook made the long trip to near Tunbridge Wells to take on the side who had knocked out Rowledge. Choosing to bat, Liphook were again indebted to Ryan Covey who anchored the innings with a crucial 68. George Neave’s dazzling 51 off 48 balls and a vital contribution from Jonny Pryce (32) helped Liphook to 228. Was it enough?
Certainly. Janczur and Ganguly put Mayfield well behind the run-rate and Sean Burton cleaned up with 4-32, backed up by outstanding work in the field, as the Sussex League Division Two leaders crashed to 125 all out.
Lord’s here they come ...
* The Lord’s gates open at 10am on Sunday. The 40-overs per side starts at 11am.

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Last winter’s champion club, they play in the Busselton Margaret River competition (a beautiful part of WA) and the standard is that of Southern Premier League Division 3
Economy airfare & accommodation paid for.
Website: www.yobscc.wa.cricket.com.au/
If interested, please contact New Milton’s Steve Taylor on 07860 605436

Will Norman expects his young Flixton side to embrace their dream final at Lord’s on Sunday and put in a strong performance.
Flixton take on Liphook & Ripsley of the Southern Premier League at the Home of Cricket in the final of the Cricketer National Village Cup on Sunday, and Norman can’t wait to lead his side out.
“I think the closer it gets, the more real it becomes and a few nerves kick in,” said Norman.
“The guys are all excited, it’s all we’ve spoken or thought about since we won our semi-final at Fillongley. We’re ready now.
“We’re at full strength and I think the players will embrace the occasion and put in another strong performance, I just hope it’s enough for us to win the game.”
Flixton have won the toss and will use the famous home dressing room at Lord’s for Sunday’s final.
“From a personal point of view, it’s all a bit surreal, knowing we’ll be walking through the famous Long Room and out onto such a historic ground,” added the Flixton skipper.
“It’s been a real team effort so far, we don’t have a stand-out player, bat all the way down to 11 and everyone has chipped in, and hopefully that’ll be the case again on Sunday at Lord’s.”

Ryan Covey will be looking to continue his superb Village Cup form when Liphook & Ripsley face North Yorkshire side Folkton & Flixton in the final at Lord’s on Sunday, 11am.
The opening bat has so far made one century (in the Hampshire final v Easton & Martyr Worthy), plus three 60-plus scores and a fifty in Liphook’s eight wins.

LIPHOOK & RIPSLEY’S ROAD TO LORD’S
* denotes home team
Round 1
Liphook & Ripsley 186 (Covey 64, Munt 64, Nicklin 37, Mitchard 5-31, inc hat-trick)
* Sparsholt 179 (Frith 46, Mitchard 42, Covey 3-36)
Liphook & Ripsley won by seven runs.
Round 2
Liphook & Ripsley 221-8 (Covey 63, Campbell 59*, Nicklin 56)
* Hursley Park 125 (Oliver 4-28, Burton 3-37)
Liphook & Ripsley won by 96 runs.
Round 3
* Bramshaw 185 (B Streather 61, Elliott 4-47)
Liphook & Ripsley 186-7 (Munt 72, Covey 51)
Liphook & Ripsley won by three wickets.
Round 4 [Hampshire final]
Easton & Martyr Worthy 166-8 (Stanbrook 56, White 3-41)
* Liphook & Ripsley 168-2 (Covey 104, Munt 37)
Liphook & Ripsley won by eight wickets.
Round 5
Cookham Dean 109 (Davis 65, Ganguly 4-20, Covey 3-17)
* Liphook & Ripsley 110-3 (Munt 37, Covey 25)
Liphook & Ripsley won by seven wickets.
Round 6
* Liphook & Ripsley 238 (Ganguly 87, Rouse 66, Covey 35, Meardon 4-37)
Oxford Downs 167 (Ellwood 43, Sutton 35, Elliott 3-31, Munt 3-34)
Liphook & Ripsley won by 71 runs.
Round 7
* North Perrott 243-7 (Retter 69, Symes 55, Ieland 45, Baird 43, Ganguly 3-41)
Liphook & Ripsley 246-4 (Neave 70, Munt 61, Ganguly 51)
Liphook & Ripsley won by six wickets.
Semi-final
Liphook & Ripsley 218 (Covey 68, Neave 51, Ahmed 4-28)
* Mayfield 125 (Burton 4-25)
Liphook & Ripsley won by 93 runs.

Two former Southern Premier League cricketers who have moved to work in the City, have helped Richmond, their adopted south-west London club, to a remarkable Middlesex County League and Cup double.
Former Basingstoke & North Hants all-rounder Will Phillips scored almost 600 runs as Richmond replaced Ealing as Middlesex League champions, while Robert Gibson’s season, truncated by overseas work commitments, made several half-centuries.
Phillips, who began his SPL career as a teenager with Hartley Wintney before joining Alton and latterly Basingstoke, struck three MCL centuries, among them an unbeaten career-best 153 when Richmond chased down a Hampstead target of 332 in June.
He played his part in this weekend’s Middlesex Cup final win over North Middlesex (257-7), scoring 38 and taking 2-60.
Former Havant opener Rob Gibson was restricted to a mere ten games for Richmond this summer, but he still chalked up six fifty-plus scores, including a season’s best 77 against Brondesbury  in the final match.

There’s a pretty fair bet Liphook & Ripsley will bat first in Sunday’s National Village Cup final at Lord’s, because North Yorkshire opponents Folkton & Flixton simply love a run chase.
In six of their seven Village Cup ties this season, Flixton have won batting second and chasing down a target.   On the solitary occasion they batted first, they were bowled out for 125 and beaten by three wickets by Moorsholm, who were subsequently disqualified from the competition for fielding ineligible players !
Flixton run chases brought five-wicket success against both Stathies and Dunnington before they knocked out past winners Sessay (164-7) by a seven-wicket margin in the county final.
Flixton went on their travels after that, to Bolton, where they rolled Egerton (150) by seven wickets, then to Hyde (Greater Manchester) where they beat Broadbottom by one wicket in an epic, Flixton getting past their hosts’ 264-9 to win by one wicket.
It was across Hadrian’s Wall for the quarter-finals, where they beat Perthshire side Falkland (167-9) by three wickets.
The Flixton team bus (by this time low on fuel) headed south for the semi-finals – to the outskirts of Coventry – where Filongley’s 206-6 was overhauled by seven wickets, Richard Malthouse hitting a match winning 80.
* A warm sunny Sunday is forecast for Lord’s, where play starts at 11am.

Hook and Newnham Basics won a superb Finch Group Guy Jewell Cup over local rivals Basingstoke and North Hants at May's Bounty - and immediately dedicated their triumph to the late Kevin Poulter, who died before the start of the season.
However, if was former Hook man Ben Thane who nearly stole the show with a brilliant unbeaten 109, but in the end the Bountymen fell short of their 207 target as they finished on 189-9 in the T20 game, writes Basingstoke Gazette Sports Editor Graham Merry.
Earlier in the game, Hook won the toss and elected to bat and Richard Willcock (26) and Jordan Hobday (17) got them off to a solid start.
Hobday was the first man out with the score on 36 and then Willock and Matt Buckingham added 42 for the second wicket.
With the demise of Willcock trapped leg before by Stokes, Matt Love came to centre and along with Buckingham the pair produced the match winning partnership as they moved the score to 154, before Love departed.
Buckingham, who excellent innings of 87 came to end seven runs later and it included nine fours and five big sixes.
Captain Josh Buckingham added 19 quick runs before he departed and then Rhodes Franklin took up the mantle with two sixes in the final over bowled by David Griffiths.
The former Hampshire man seemed powerless as he conceded 23 in his last over, as Franklin finished on 29 and Alex Brown six.
Hook's total of 206-5 meant Basingstoke needed 10 an over and Thane made sure they up with the run rate after the first six balls.
Basingstoke's first wicket fell at 27 as Chris Jolley (14) was out and then captain Stokes (16) and Thane got them above the run rate after five overs.
It was left to Franklin (3-33) to take out the middle order of Stokes, Joe Oates and Dan Belcher, the final two in the same over as they slide to 79-4.
                                                                               Injury
Thane and Griffiths (11) then added 84 for the fifth wicket and home side looked in with a chance. Thane hitting a six to bring up his 50.
During this partnership, Anik Divecha, who battled on bowling despite a leg injury was replaced in the field by Joel Buckingham.
However, Griffiths was caught behind by Brown off the bowling of Rupert Armstrong.
Lanky left-armer Liam Shore (2-22) then got rid of Martyn James thanks to a Hobday catch and then Josh Buckingham won the magic moment award as he took a superb catch over his shoulder to dismiss Harry Smith.
Next in Lawrence Benge (10) hit a straight six off Willcock, who gained quick revenge as he clean bowled him in the same over.
The home side were left needing 32 off the final over, which they were unable to do, but Thane did compete his excellent century with a straight four, which was well received by the big crowd at the ground.
However, his knock was in all vain as Hook won the game.
Club captain Matt Love was delighted with win and said: "We would like to dedicate this victory to Kevin Poulter, as he is mentioned at every team talk before every game."
Kevin a star of many Hook's Guy Jewell triumphs over the years. passed away just before this season started.
In the Cyril Thompson Trophy played at the same venue earlier in the day, Chawton were 13 run winners over Basingstoke Hockey.
Chawton batting first, recovered from 28-3 to 107-4 thanks to Jake Channon (46) and Mason Taylor (46) on their way to 155 as Charlie Lappin took 4-24.   Opener Josh Weir led the Basingstoke reply with 75, but they fell short of their total being all out for 142, as Channon took 3-24.
The batting award for the two competitions was won by Basingstoke Hockey's Josh Weir, while the bowling trophy went to Jake Channon.

Liphook & Ripsley bid to become the third Hampshire club to win the National Village Cup when they face North Yorkshire side Folkton & Flixton in Sunday’s final at Lord’s.
Longparish in 1987 and Hursley Park five years later had their names etched on the trophy during a relative golden era for Hampshire cricket when six teams from the county appeared in Lord’s finals between 1980 and 1992.
Both ‘Parish and Hursley Park tasted the disappointment of a Lord’s defeat before actually lifting the NVC on the pavilion steps
The powerful Welsh side Marchwiel beat both Longparish (1980) and Hursley Park (1984) while Rowledge fell to Scottish opposition in the form of Freuchie in a tied match – 134 runs each – a year later.  Freuchie lost least wickets.  All-rounder Chris Yates is the sole surviving playing member from that 1985 final.
But two seasons later Longparish broke the mould, John Heagren (63) and Bob Sturt and Barry Smith (with three wickets each) setting up a comfortable 76-run win over Treeton Welfare, from South Yorkshire.
Two years on, Hampshire was represented at Lord’s again – but all the historic gloss of Hambledon’s journey to the Grace Gates was literally washed away when the 1989 final against Toft was rained off in mid-afternoon.  Replaying the tie on the then Midland Bank ground at Beckenham a day later didn’t quite have the same sparkle and Hambledon lost by six wickets having been bowled out for 104.
And so to 1992 when an unbeaten 76 by Clive Surry swept Hursley Park to a six-wicket win over Methley, who made 150-6, Chris Westbrook taking four of the South Yorkshire wickets.
Since then, only Easton & Martyr Worthy have got anywhere near exiting the Jubilee line at St John’s Wood.  They reached the semi-finals in 2006, fielding nine recognised bowlers (and an insufficient number of batsmen) against Timsbury, themselves beaten Lord’s finalists by Houghton  Main.

South Wilts, Wiltshire Under-19 T20 Champions
Back (from left): Roly Glover, Alec Lloyd, Josh Croom, Chris Chaddock, Jayden Atkinson, Tom Lewis. Front: George Edwards, Edward Wade, Ben Richards, Henry Smith, Akram Ghauri, James Wade

South Wilts are Wiltshire Vitality Under-19 T20 champions after a faster run rate victory in the three-way final against Biddestone and host club Potterne.
The three teams beat each other in the round-robin tournament, with South Wilts (114 all out) losing by 16 runs to Biddestone (130-8), who had lost their opening game to Potterne.
But South Wilts bossed the ‘winner take all’ final with Potterne, openers George Edwards (53) and Ed Wade (50) hitting half-centuries ahead of support knocks from Jayden Atkinson (31) and James Wade (22), who steered the eventual county champions to a towering 185-5.
Wade, with figures of 4-7, and Josh Croom (3-10) blasted Potterne out for 55 to ensure a South Wilts victory.


 

It was just as well Liphook & Ripsley didn’t send any spies north to watch next Sunday’s Village Cup final opponents play as Lord’s rivals Folkton & Flixton had their final Yorkshire Senior League match of the season at Studley Royal, near Rippon, rained off.
It means they finished fifth in their league, with seven wins and eight draws – a far more impressive return than that of Liphook, who have been relegated from Southern Premier League Division One.
Liphook captain Charlie Janczur admits he knows little about the Scarborough based side they will face at the Home of Cricket next Sunday.
“It’s really difficult to gauge much from the www.play-cricket.com website, as the majority of Folkton’s league season is not played as limited overs, which may hand us a slight advantage.
“They have four members of their squad who are 17 years or younger so it should be interesting how they cope on the day.
“We do not have any spies in their camp and are solely focused on honing our skills and making sure we replicate our performance from last month’s semi-final against Mayfield which was superb.”
Liphook didn’t play a post-SPL1 warm-up match for Lord’s, instead held a full-scale internal game at Ripsley Park running through various game scenarios and drills to ensure they are prepared.
“We will also be running double sessions in midweek to ensure we are as sharp as possible for the big day,” Janczur added.
“We’re no different to any club going to play at Lord’s. This is a once in a lifetime occasion which the vast majority of cricketers never get, so we plan to be fully prepared.”