rom the sublime to the ridiculous - maybe that is a bit harsh, but the Hampshire Seniors team that succumbed so meekly to Essex * two weeks earlier produced an excellent performance as the spectacular rainbows at Letchworth provided a colourful backdrop to one of the more surprising National 60s Cup South Group results of the year.
Hampshire chased down 222-2 to beat Hertfordshire by seven wickets, Highfield & Old Netley’s Andre Manders (left) hitting an unbeaten century on debut.
With the possibility of rain later, skipper Geoff Beale took the risk of inserting the league’s most prolific batting line-up on a road of a pitch. With wickets as rare as hen’s teeth or a Steve Smith dismissal, containment was the order of the day. Hampshire bowled with discipline and accuracy and limited Herts to a little over 3 an over for most of their innings.
Restricted by athletic and acrobatic fielding (this is a 60-plus age group we are talking about), the hosts were only looking at a modest 180 or so with five overs to go. However, a brutal leg-side assault by Seylesh Sampat (24 ball 41*) changed things dramatically and the hosts took tea having secured a much more challenging 222-2 total, opener David Robinson carrying his bat for 79 and Simon Clements making 54.
Waterlooville’s Martin Shephard (2-36) took the only two wickets to fall and alongside Steve Mitchell, Rick Marston and Chris Yates, all bowled their quotas for less than 40 runs.
Punishing
Openers Neil Trestrail and the debutant Andre Manders soon established dominance over the Herts attack that was hard to believe. Hertfordshire had bowled Sussex out for SEVEN (yes 7) in a group match several weeks ago.
Without taking undue risks, but punishing every bad ball they made the art of batting look ridiculously easy. Taking drinks at 114 without loss the Hampshire were well ahead of the required rate. They knew that if rain came the match was theirs and if it didn’t then the task of keeping in front of the rate was looking fairly straightforward.
The opening stand had reached 176 when Trestrail (90) chipped one to mid-wicket. Although the Herts players got a little excited as a couple of consolation wickets fell it was left to skipper Beale to see Old Netley hero Manders to an unbeaten 101, a century containing 14 fours and the side to a convincing and somewhat surprising 7-wicket win with more than three overs remaining.
Wales beating favourites Essex (160-9) by nine wickets has left the six-team South group wide open, with only Somerset remaining unbeaten. Hampshire face Wales at Hursley Park on Tuesday (1pm).
Hampshire chased down 222-2 to beat Hertfordshire by seven wickets, Highfield & Old Netley’s Andre Manders (left) hitting an unbeaten century on debut.
With the possibility of rain later, skipper Geoff Beale took the risk of inserting the league’s most prolific batting line-up on a road of a pitch. With wickets as rare as hen’s teeth or a Steve Smith dismissal, containment was the order of the day. Hampshire bowled with discipline and accuracy and limited Herts to a little over 3 an over for most of their innings.
Restricted by athletic and acrobatic fielding (this is a 60-plus age group we are talking about), the hosts were only looking at a modest 180 or so with five overs to go. However, a brutal leg-side assault by Seylesh Sampat (24 ball 41*) changed things dramatically and the hosts took tea having secured a much more challenging 222-2 total, opener David Robinson carrying his bat for 79 and Simon Clements making 54.
Waterlooville’s Martin Shephard (2-36) took the only two wickets to fall and alongside Steve Mitchell, Rick Marston and Chris Yates, all bowled their quotas for less than 40 runs.
Punishing
Openers Neil Trestrail and the debutant Andre Manders soon established dominance over the Herts attack that was hard to believe. Hertfordshire had bowled Sussex out for SEVEN (yes 7) in a group match several weeks ago.
Without taking undue risks, but punishing every bad ball they made the art of batting look ridiculously easy. Taking drinks at 114 without loss the Hampshire were well ahead of the required rate. They knew that if rain came the match was theirs and if it didn’t then the task of keeping in front of the rate was looking fairly straightforward.
The opening stand had reached 176 when Trestrail (90) chipped one to mid-wicket. Although the Herts players got a little excited as a couple of consolation wickets fell it was left to skipper Beale to see Old Netley hero Manders to an unbeaten 101, a century containing 14 fours and the side to a convincing and somewhat surprising 7-wicket win with more than three overs remaining.
Wales beating favourites Essex (160-9) by nine wickets has left the six-team South group wide open, with only Somerset remaining unbeaten. Hampshire face Wales at Hursley Park on Tuesday (1pm).
- Hampshire put Essex into bat in stifling 90f heat at Hursley Park on July 23 and were dismissed for 88, the visitors having made 184-6 in 45 overs.
