Three successive defeats has left Southampton Solent facing a key British Universities Championship visit to winless Cambridge at Fenners on Friday.
They made a bright start to their BUCS campaign with a Rob Walters century which inspired a five-wicket win over Exeter. But they have since lost to the three powerhouse MCCU teams, Loughborough, Durham and Leeds/Bradford.
Solent lost heavily after being on the receiving end of 325-plus totals by Loughborough and Durham, but with Ryan Scott (65), Kieran Geyle (55) and Michael Porter (43) to the fore posted a hefty 303 against Leeds/Bradford at Southern Gardens.
But Billy Root, sibling brother of Yorkshire and England’s Joe Root, blasted a chanceless 155, many of them out of the ground, as Leeds/Bradford won with ten overs to spare.
“Leeds & Bradford MCCU are currently very strong, so we always knew it would be tough, but when someone scores a chanceless 155* in the style that Billy Root did you’re always going to struggle,” said Solent Cricket Director Tom Morton.
“We were happy with setting a competitive 303 and by no means performed badly with the ball or in the field, but they had one outstanding innings and two other very good ones as well.”
But whereas Solent have played four BUCS games, Southampton have yet to get their programme under way – wet weather having seen three games washed out.
Southampton were due to launch their competitive season against Bristol (Tuesday) and Portsmouth at Langley Manor on Wednesday, 11am.
They made a bright start to their BUCS campaign with a Rob Walters century which inspired a five-wicket win over Exeter. But they have since lost to the three powerhouse MCCU teams, Loughborough, Durham and Leeds/Bradford.
Solent lost heavily after being on the receiving end of 325-plus totals by Loughborough and Durham, but with Ryan Scott (65), Kieran Geyle (55) and Michael Porter (43) to the fore posted a hefty 303 against Leeds/Bradford at Southern Gardens.
But Billy Root, sibling brother of Yorkshire and England’s Joe Root, blasted a chanceless 155, many of them out of the ground, as Leeds/Bradford won with ten overs to spare.
“Leeds & Bradford MCCU are currently very strong, so we always knew it would be tough, but when someone scores a chanceless 155* in the style that Billy Root did you’re always going to struggle,” said Solent Cricket Director Tom Morton.
“We were happy with setting a competitive 303 and by no means performed badly with the ball or in the field, but they had one outstanding innings and two other very good ones as well.”
But whereas Solent have played four BUCS games, Southampton have yet to get their programme under way – wet weather having seen three games washed out.
Southampton were due to launch their competitive season against Bristol (Tuesday) and Portsmouth at Langley Manor on Wednesday, 11am.
