
Bashley (Rydal) eased themselves into pole position in Southern Premier League Cup West group with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Totton & Eling at Southern Gardens.
Totton had beaten New Milton and tied with St Cross Symondians in their two previous matches, but their batsmen found Bashley’s pacey attack, led by the Currie brothers, way out of their comfort zone.
They quickly slumped to 24-4, James Taylor, around whom they ideally wanted to build an innings, being caught behind off a brute of a delivery from Mitch Wilson, who went on to take 4-42.
Instead, it was James’s eldest son Ethan who held the Totton innings together with an unbeaten half-century while wickets tumbled all around him.
Ethan had been playing soccer for AFC Totton immediately prior to the match, but swapped roles without too much fuss, hitting two sixes and ten fours in his 57 not out, raising T & E’s spirits from a dismal 47-7. It was his second consecutive half-century.
Jack Owens and Tom Cheater gave Taylor a helping hand before Scott Currie (3-19) returned to the attack to end the Totton innings at 124. Elder brother Brad, fresh from his trials with Scotland at The Grange in Edinburgh, returned a tidy 1-12 off his eight overs.
Bashley skipper Michael Porter was caught behind by Ollie Thomas off the third ball of the visitors’ reply, but Alex Turner (34) and Ben Walker, in particular, found the subsequent Totton bowling to their liking.
Walker plundered a six and nine fours in his unbeaten 63 which, with support from Harry Fisher (20), took Bashley home by eight wickets in the 25th over.
Totton had beaten New Milton and tied with St Cross Symondians in their two previous matches, but their batsmen found Bashley’s pacey attack, led by the Currie brothers, way out of their comfort zone.
They quickly slumped to 24-4, James Taylor, around whom they ideally wanted to build an innings, being caught behind off a brute of a delivery from Mitch Wilson, who went on to take 4-42.
Instead, it was James’s eldest son Ethan who held the Totton innings together with an unbeaten half-century while wickets tumbled all around him.
Ethan had been playing soccer for AFC Totton immediately prior to the match, but swapped roles without too much fuss, hitting two sixes and ten fours in his 57 not out, raising T & E’s spirits from a dismal 47-7. It was his second consecutive half-century.
Jack Owens and Tom Cheater gave Taylor a helping hand before Scott Currie (3-19) returned to the attack to end the Totton innings at 124. Elder brother Brad, fresh from his trials with Scotland at The Grange in Edinburgh, returned a tidy 1-12 off his eight overs.
Bashley skipper Michael Porter was caught behind by Ollie Thomas off the third ball of the visitors’ reply, but Alex Turner (34) and Ben Walker, in particular, found the subsequent Totton bowling to their liking.
Walker plundered a six and nine fours in his unbeaten 63 which, with support from Harry Fisher (20), took Bashley home by eight wickets in the 25th over.