Sparsholt, Hampshire indoor sixes champions, 2019. Back (from left): Archie Norris, Dan Weir, Tim Vokes. Front: Mike Haworth, Dave Banks, Chris Mitchell. Dave Vokes picture.
Sparsholt have won the Hampshire indoor cricket six-a-side championships at the first time of asking.
Having scraped a drama-packed one-wicket win over Burridge off the last ball of their semi-final, they defeated Waterlooville to earn a place in next Sunday’s South East ECB regional play-offs at Canterbury.
But at one stage of the thrilling semi-final tie against 2018 county indoor winners, Burridge it looked as though Sparsholt might not make it.
They were languishing at 66-4 off eight overs in response to a Burridge total of 116-1 and needed 51 to win off the last four overs.
Cue an amazing flurry of wides – a staggering 55 in total – and Sparsholt got home with a three off Sully White’s last ball !
Waterlooville’s one-wicket semi-final win over Hook & Newnham Basics also went to the wire, with teenager Archie Reynolds hitting an undefeated 41 to get the Ville home. Shane Brewer, with 23 and a 3-22 return, starred for Hook.
In the balance
So often low scoring matches produce tight finishes and so it was when Sparsholt successfully chased down Waterlooville’s 105-5 to win by two wickets, with effectively an over to spare.
The outcome was in the balance with Sparsholt 51-3 at the halfway point of their innings, but Tim Vokes struck an unbeaten 26.
At 80-3 at the end of the ninth over, Sparsholt still had work to do, but 13 runs off Max Goddard led last summer’s Southern Premier League Division 2 champions to get only six runs off the 12th over, which they achieved courtesy of two wides !
Sparsholt’s reward is a trip to the Kent Indoor School at the St Lawrence ground, Canterbury, on Sunday, where they will play Crawley-based Ifield, who won the Sussex indoor title.
In the other semi-final, Canterbury face Wimbledon. The St Lawrence winners qualify for the Lord’s final.
Hampshire Semi-finals:
Burridge 116-1 (Hewitt 29, Kenway 28) Sparsholt 117-5 (Extras 55, White 2-15). Sparsholt won by one wicket.
Hook & Newnham Basics 119-5 (Brown 35, Brewer 23) Waterlooville 123-5 (Archie Reynolds 41*, Brewer 3-22). Waterlooville won by one wicket.
Final
Waterlooville 105-5 (Hudson 26, Archie Reynolds 30) Sparsholt 107-4 (Vokes 26*, Hillman 2-16). Sparsholt won by two wickets.
Having scraped a drama-packed one-wicket win over Burridge off the last ball of their semi-final, they defeated Waterlooville to earn a place in next Sunday’s South East ECB regional play-offs at Canterbury.
But at one stage of the thrilling semi-final tie against 2018 county indoor winners, Burridge it looked as though Sparsholt might not make it.
They were languishing at 66-4 off eight overs in response to a Burridge total of 116-1 and needed 51 to win off the last four overs.
Cue an amazing flurry of wides – a staggering 55 in total – and Sparsholt got home with a three off Sully White’s last ball !
Waterlooville’s one-wicket semi-final win over Hook & Newnham Basics also went to the wire, with teenager Archie Reynolds hitting an undefeated 41 to get the Ville home. Shane Brewer, with 23 and a 3-22 return, starred for Hook.
In the balance
So often low scoring matches produce tight finishes and so it was when Sparsholt successfully chased down Waterlooville’s 105-5 to win by two wickets, with effectively an over to spare.
The outcome was in the balance with Sparsholt 51-3 at the halfway point of their innings, but Tim Vokes struck an unbeaten 26.
At 80-3 at the end of the ninth over, Sparsholt still had work to do, but 13 runs off Max Goddard led last summer’s Southern Premier League Division 2 champions to get only six runs off the 12th over, which they achieved courtesy of two wides !
Sparsholt’s reward is a trip to the Kent Indoor School at the St Lawrence ground, Canterbury, on Sunday, where they will play Crawley-based Ifield, who won the Sussex indoor title.
In the other semi-final, Canterbury face Wimbledon. The St Lawrence winners qualify for the Lord’s final.
Hampshire Semi-finals:
Burridge 116-1 (Hewitt 29, Kenway 28) Sparsholt 117-5 (Extras 55, White 2-15). Sparsholt won by one wicket.
Hook & Newnham Basics 119-5 (Brown 35, Brewer 23) Waterlooville 123-5 (Archie Reynolds 41*, Brewer 3-22). Waterlooville won by one wicket.
Final
Waterlooville 105-5 (Hudson 26, Archie Reynolds 30) Sparsholt 107-4 (Vokes 26*, Hillman 2-16). Sparsholt won by two wickets.
Tim Vokes, key cup final innings.
