Aussie Gareth Sharp is set for Odiham return : Ian Thacker
Australian Gareth Sharp, whose 565 runs underpinned Odiham & Greywell’s Hampshire Cricket League championship triumph last summer, is busy packing his kit back in Melbourne in preparation for a second season with the Division 1 winners.
His runs helped Odiham gain promotion to Division 3 of the Southern Premier League cricket, the latest positive step of a ten-year climb through the HCL which began a decade ago when they joined from the Thames Valley League.
Sharp, who plays decent standard Victoria sub-district cricket, made 151 against Compton & Chandler’s Ford and 109 v Ryde during a golden midsummer spell at the crease, when he also scored two half-centuries.
Ed Ikin, whose 482 runs tally last season contained a century against Kerala and four other scores of fifty or more, will continue to bat alongside Sharp.
But long serving Kyran Munt, a regular top order batter during Odiham’s climb through the HL, has migrated to Hartley Wintney, as a possible replacement for Gerrards Cross bound Hugo Hammond.
Odiham have been busy recruiting, with Old Basing trio Darren Turner, Tom Jackson and Josh Sivier joining the King Street clan.
Overall, it’s a very positive situation, with teen Dylan Kettle keen to expand his 24-wicket haul from last summer.
“The club has continued to go from strength to strength, culminating in a fantastic 2024 season,” reflected skipper Jack Malden.
When their opening match at Sparsholt on May 3 comes around, Odiham will be eager to make up for lost time having been denied automatic promotion from Division 1 in 2023 because they did not have an ECB Clubmark accreditation in place at the time.
They finished third two seasons ago, but with all the accreditation boxes subsequently ticked, Odiham swept almost all before them this summer, winning 11 matches on the spin before 2023 champions Ferndown Wayfarers beat them in the last game of the season.
Odiham finished 21 points ahead of Alton seconds, who finished runners-up are also promoted.
"The O’s are excited to have achieved a long held ambition of the club in reaching the Southern Premier League. We've enjoyed three terrific seasons since covid," Jack Malden added,
Odiham played in the Thames Valley League until 2012 and in 2018, six playing seasons ago (there was no competition in 2020 due to covid) were languishing in Division 3 North.
In 2021, they were promoted from Division 2 and, after three seasons in HL1, are headed upwards again, this time into the Southern Premier League.
They host Andover in an upcoming pre-season friendly.
His runs helped Odiham gain promotion to Division 3 of the Southern Premier League cricket, the latest positive step of a ten-year climb through the HCL which began a decade ago when they joined from the Thames Valley League.
Sharp, who plays decent standard Victoria sub-district cricket, made 151 against Compton & Chandler’s Ford and 109 v Ryde during a golden midsummer spell at the crease, when he also scored two half-centuries.
Ed Ikin, whose 482 runs tally last season contained a century against Kerala and four other scores of fifty or more, will continue to bat alongside Sharp.
But long serving Kyran Munt, a regular top order batter during Odiham’s climb through the HL, has migrated to Hartley Wintney, as a possible replacement for Gerrards Cross bound Hugo Hammond.
Odiham have been busy recruiting, with Old Basing trio Darren Turner, Tom Jackson and Josh Sivier joining the King Street clan.
Overall, it’s a very positive situation, with teen Dylan Kettle keen to expand his 24-wicket haul from last summer.
“The club has continued to go from strength to strength, culminating in a fantastic 2024 season,” reflected skipper Jack Malden.
When their opening match at Sparsholt on May 3 comes around, Odiham will be eager to make up for lost time having been denied automatic promotion from Division 1 in 2023 because they did not have an ECB Clubmark accreditation in place at the time.
They finished third two seasons ago, but with all the accreditation boxes subsequently ticked, Odiham swept almost all before them this summer, winning 11 matches on the spin before 2023 champions Ferndown Wayfarers beat them in the last game of the season.
Odiham finished 21 points ahead of Alton seconds, who finished runners-up are also promoted.
"The O’s are excited to have achieved a long held ambition of the club in reaching the Southern Premier League. We've enjoyed three terrific seasons since covid," Jack Malden added,
Odiham played in the Thames Valley League until 2012 and in 2018, six playing seasons ago (there was no competition in 2020 due to covid) were languishing in Division 3 North.
In 2021, they were promoted from Division 2 and, after three seasons in HL1, are headed upwards again, this time into the Southern Premier League.
They host Andover in an upcoming pre-season friendly.
