Matt Falconer 5-18 for South Wilts IIs (Roy Honeybone)
Last pair Sam Pittman and Tom Lewis hauled South Wilts seconds from the brink of defeat to a remarkable one-wicket Southern Premier Division 2 victory over title chasing Old Tauntonians & Romsey.
A combined total of 19 wickets had already fallen for 123 runs during the match at the Romsey Sports Centre when the pair came together with South Wilts tottering at 51-9 - and the visitors still needing another 22 runs to overhaul OTs’ 72 all out.
But, ball by ball, wicketkeeper Pittman and Lewis ran the target down – a dramatic twist coming in the 26th over when Lewis Allen conceded 12 runs, six off the bat, four wides and two no-balls !
South Wilts, suddenly found their score elevated to 67-9.
Three runs off Harry Tulk’s next over eased the score to 70, before Pittman (16 not out) dispatched the third ball of Jordan Ponting’s solitary over the boundary rope for the winning hit. Lewis finished with nine not out.
The result meant a second consecutive defeat for OTs & Romsey, who have dropped to third place in the table behind Hartley Wintney and Liphook & Ripsley.
But a potentially season defining second win for South Wilts, who have pulled 27 points clear of Fawley in second from bottom place.
After all the wet weather, OTs had done well to get the pitch fit at all and when they progressed to 41-1 (Bothwell Chapungu 21) all seemed well.
The introduction of 15-years old South Wilts all-rounder prospect Matt Falconer (5-18) changed all that. OTs lost five wickets for eight runs, tumbling to 49-6, the Stonehenge right-arm seamer clean bowling three victims and trapping another leg before wicket.
OTs disappointing 72 all out looked as though it might be enough when a double strike by left-arm spinner Matt Bampton (2-6) had South Wilts rocking at 9 for three.
Jack Stearman (17) and Ben Howgrave-Graham (14) steadied the ship at 31-3, only for Jody Brown (2-23), aided by two run outs, to leave South Wilts in dire straits at 51-9.
But the drama was far from over as South Wilts gradually inched themselves closer to a remarkable win.
A combined total of 19 wickets had already fallen for 123 runs during the match at the Romsey Sports Centre when the pair came together with South Wilts tottering at 51-9 - and the visitors still needing another 22 runs to overhaul OTs’ 72 all out.
But, ball by ball, wicketkeeper Pittman and Lewis ran the target down – a dramatic twist coming in the 26th over when Lewis Allen conceded 12 runs, six off the bat, four wides and two no-balls !
South Wilts, suddenly found their score elevated to 67-9.
Three runs off Harry Tulk’s next over eased the score to 70, before Pittman (16 not out) dispatched the third ball of Jordan Ponting’s solitary over the boundary rope for the winning hit. Lewis finished with nine not out.
The result meant a second consecutive defeat for OTs & Romsey, who have dropped to third place in the table behind Hartley Wintney and Liphook & Ripsley.
But a potentially season defining second win for South Wilts, who have pulled 27 points clear of Fawley in second from bottom place.
After all the wet weather, OTs had done well to get the pitch fit at all and when they progressed to 41-1 (Bothwell Chapungu 21) all seemed well.
The introduction of 15-years old South Wilts all-rounder prospect Matt Falconer (5-18) changed all that. OTs lost five wickets for eight runs, tumbling to 49-6, the Stonehenge right-arm seamer clean bowling three victims and trapping another leg before wicket.
OTs disappointing 72 all out looked as though it might be enough when a double strike by left-arm spinner Matt Bampton (2-6) had South Wilts rocking at 9 for three.
Jack Stearman (17) and Ben Howgrave-Graham (14) steadied the ship at 31-3, only for Jody Brown (2-23), aided by two run outs, to leave South Wilts in dire straits at 51-9.
But the drama was far from over as South Wilts gradually inched themselves closer to a remarkable win.
 |  Sam Pittman (left) and Tom Lewis (above), whose dramatic last wicket stand at Romsey lifted South Wilts II from the brink of defeat to a one-wicket win over Division 2 title chasing Old Tauntonians & Romsey. Roy Honeybone pictures. |
