Hampshire’s Jimmy Adams sent his recent St Cross Symondians’ run tally spiralling towards the 600-mark as the Winchester club took another emphatic step towards securing a first ECB Southern Premier League championship with an anticipated hefty win over relegated New Milton.
Adams made 90 as St Cross racked up a formidable 272-5 before dismissing New Milton for 147 to secure a maximum 22-point victory.
It took St Cross to within 15 points of the title – which they will clinch by beating Lymington in their final game on Saturday – but second placed Burridge remain in the frame.
They trimmed Havant by 37 runs, but will need Lymington to defeat St Cross – and Burridge win at Alton – to turn the tide in their favour.
Adams is averaging a staggering 146.25 after scoring 585 runs in his five match winning innings for St Cross in the past six weeks.
Having hit three sixes and 11 fours and he looked to be headed for a fourth SPL century when Ryan Beck caught him off Josh Arnold (2-46) at 187-2.
By then and on the back of a 123-run start with former Hampshire team-mate Jason Laney (40), Adams had already batted New Milton out of the game.
He added another 64 with Harry Came (36), who was fresh from yet another midweek hundred playing for Kent seconds against the MCC YCs at Folkestone.
With Billy Mead chipping in with an unbeaten 50 and Harry Foyle making a quick 23, St Cross moved relentlessly on to 272-5.
New Milton ended a wretched 13-match losing sequence by beating Lymington the previous week and, despite relegation having long been anticipated, were desperate to make a decent fist of it batting second.
Initially, they didn’t do badly either – Ryan Beck thumping a six and nine fours in a lively 56.
He shared a stand of 72 with Tom Arnold (23), who nicked one behind to give Harry Foyle (3-26) his first wicket and emerging teenage gloveman Alex Ayers the first of four victims behind the stumps.
But once New Milton reached 122-3, the inevitable collapse occurred – seven wickets tumbling for 26 runs and the ever youthful Raj Naik (3-13) cashing in as the visitors sank to 147 all out.
Adams made 90 as St Cross racked up a formidable 272-5 before dismissing New Milton for 147 to secure a maximum 22-point victory.
It took St Cross to within 15 points of the title – which they will clinch by beating Lymington in their final game on Saturday – but second placed Burridge remain in the frame.
They trimmed Havant by 37 runs, but will need Lymington to defeat St Cross – and Burridge win at Alton – to turn the tide in their favour.
Adams is averaging a staggering 146.25 after scoring 585 runs in his five match winning innings for St Cross in the past six weeks.
Having hit three sixes and 11 fours and he looked to be headed for a fourth SPL century when Ryan Beck caught him off Josh Arnold (2-46) at 187-2.
By then and on the back of a 123-run start with former Hampshire team-mate Jason Laney (40), Adams had already batted New Milton out of the game.
He added another 64 with Harry Came (36), who was fresh from yet another midweek hundred playing for Kent seconds against the MCC YCs at Folkestone.
With Billy Mead chipping in with an unbeaten 50 and Harry Foyle making a quick 23, St Cross moved relentlessly on to 272-5.
New Milton ended a wretched 13-match losing sequence by beating Lymington the previous week and, despite relegation having long been anticipated, were desperate to make a decent fist of it batting second.
Initially, they didn’t do badly either – Ryan Beck thumping a six and nine fours in a lively 56.
He shared a stand of 72 with Tom Arnold (23), who nicked one behind to give Harry Foyle (3-26) his first wicket and emerging teenage gloveman Alex Ayers the first of four victims behind the stumps.
But once New Milton reached 122-3, the inevitable collapse occurred – seven wickets tumbling for 26 runs and the ever youthful Raj Naik (3-13) cashing in as the visitors sank to 147 all out.
