Scott Dyer Totton & Eling have won the Southern Premier League Division 2 championship – despite losing FIVE of their last seven matches.
Yet they still managed to finish nine points clear of St Cross Symondians II, who stumbled in their last two games, critically the last one against Fair Oak, who beat them by ten runs.
Had that close-run affair at Lapstone Park gone the other way, celebrations would have been ringing out at the Green Jackets Ground, as opposed to Southern Gardens.
Ironically, Totton’s third successive defeat – by 61 runs at May’s Bounty – came against a Basingstoke & North Hants second team who simply had to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation. Alas, eighth-placed Waterlooville had enough points in the bag to finish ten ahead of the Bountymen.
Scott Dyer (76) and Matt Thankachan (41) lifted Basingstoke from an uncertain 121-6 (Brighton Mugochi 4-23) to 209 against Totton, who dropped to 23-3 before Owen Morris (50) and Bothwell Chapungu (41) took them to a challenging 101-3.
But, once separated, the Totton innings collapsed to 148 all out against spin, with Keith Harris taking 3-23, and Matt Thankachan and Rakitha Perera two each.
Requiring four points from a possible 22 to ensure second place and hence promotion to SPL1, St Cross Symondians II fell to a narrow ten-run defeat against Fair Oak at Lapstone Park, but comfortably passed their points target.
Charlie Gwynn's 83, aided by Tom Hockenhull (47) and Rhys Oxley (42), set up Fair Oak for a competitive 236-9. Having already ensured promotion at tea, St Cross set off in pursuit but lost wickets at crucial moments. Matt Howarth's 50 off 29 balls threatened to take the game away from the home team, but his departure meant that St Cross finished ten runs short at 226-9 (Dave Orchard 41). A win would have given them the Division 2 league title as Totton and Eling continued their stuttering August run but remained at the top.
Yet they still managed to finish nine points clear of St Cross Symondians II, who stumbled in their last two games, critically the last one against Fair Oak, who beat them by ten runs.
Had that close-run affair at Lapstone Park gone the other way, celebrations would have been ringing out at the Green Jackets Ground, as opposed to Southern Gardens.
Ironically, Totton’s third successive defeat – by 61 runs at May’s Bounty – came against a Basingstoke & North Hants second team who simply had to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation. Alas, eighth-placed Waterlooville had enough points in the bag to finish ten ahead of the Bountymen.
Scott Dyer (76) and Matt Thankachan (41) lifted Basingstoke from an uncertain 121-6 (Brighton Mugochi 4-23) to 209 against Totton, who dropped to 23-3 before Owen Morris (50) and Bothwell Chapungu (41) took them to a challenging 101-3.
But, once separated, the Totton innings collapsed to 148 all out against spin, with Keith Harris taking 3-23, and Matt Thankachan and Rakitha Perera two each.
Requiring four points from a possible 22 to ensure second place and hence promotion to SPL1, St Cross Symondians II fell to a narrow ten-run defeat against Fair Oak at Lapstone Park, but comfortably passed their points target.
Charlie Gwynn's 83, aided by Tom Hockenhull (47) and Rhys Oxley (42), set up Fair Oak for a competitive 236-9. Having already ensured promotion at tea, St Cross set off in pursuit but lost wickets at crucial moments. Matt Howarth's 50 off 29 balls threatened to take the game away from the home team, but his departure meant that St Cross finished ten runs short at 226-9 (Dave Orchard 41). A win would have given them the Division 2 league title as Totton and Eling continued their stuttering August run but remained at the top.
Charlie Gwynn plays a crisp shot off his legs in what proved a match winning innings.
