Tom Berzins celebrated his Sparsholt debut in style with the former South Wilts cricketer hitting a match winning 78 as a Rowledge total of 181-9 was chased down by five wickets with time to spare at Church Road.
An eighth win in 14 matches secured a mid-table fifth spot in Southern Premier Division 1 for Sparsholt, who were without leading light Jeremy Frith (stranded in Guernsey) for two-thirds of the season, but progressed several promising youngsters into the SPL arena.
Serviceman Berzins, left, who has spent the past four seasons playing second team cricket for South Wilts following a spell in the Cheshire League, hit nine boundaries in a patient stay at the crease, receiving support from Josh May (28) and Stuart Taylor (37) as Sparsholt coasted home with 16 balls to spare.
He eventually became a third victim for left-arm spinner Ollie Baker (3-32), who finished the season with 26 wickets.
Earlier, Rowledge didn’t make the best of the sound start Ricky Yates (43) and Sam Plater (28) gave them, four wickets falling for 11 runs from 45-0 and leaving youngsters Ryan Littlewood (31) and Ollie Ryman (30) to pick up the pieces after Dan Sumner (2-24) and consecutive run outs had disrupted the flow. Callum Doran finished with 3-34. Photo Roy Honeybone.
An eighth win in 14 matches secured a mid-table fifth spot in Southern Premier Division 1 for Sparsholt, who were without leading light Jeremy Frith (stranded in Guernsey) for two-thirds of the season, but progressed several promising youngsters into the SPL arena.
Serviceman Berzins, left, who has spent the past four seasons playing second team cricket for South Wilts following a spell in the Cheshire League, hit nine boundaries in a patient stay at the crease, receiving support from Josh May (28) and Stuart Taylor (37) as Sparsholt coasted home with 16 balls to spare.
He eventually became a third victim for left-arm spinner Ollie Baker (3-32), who finished the season with 26 wickets.
Earlier, Rowledge didn’t make the best of the sound start Ricky Yates (43) and Sam Plater (28) gave them, four wickets falling for 11 runs from 45-0 and leaving youngsters Ryan Littlewood (31) and Ollie Ryman (30) to pick up the pieces after Dan Sumner (2-24) and consecutive run outs had disrupted the flow. Callum Doran finished with 3-34. Photo Roy Honeybone.
