Luck seldom goes the way of struggling teams, none more so than bottom of the Southern Premier Division 3 pile Fareham & Crofton, who must feel they've run over a black cat or two recently.
With only two wins from eight completed matches, Fareham lie 23 points beneath the nearest survival rung - a situation that could have been so different had luck gone their way in the immediate past fortnight.
Two weeks ago, they appeared on the cusp of beating Trojans when, defending 207, they had their Stoneham hosts 179-8. Cue a Trojans tailender to smack three big sixes and win the game.
If that wasn't galling enough, Fareham literally had victory thrust from their grasp at table topping Sway, whose eight-match winning start to the season was set to end when the weather intervened.
Fareham were on the brink of a surprise win, albeit it on run rate, when they moved to 100-3, chasing Sway's 134 all out, by the end of the 23rd over. Down came the rain to save Sway and rob Fareham, who needed to have batted 25 overs to constitute a result. Two more overs and Fareham would have celebrated a D/L win.
Undefeated Sway played their Monopoly 'Get out of Jail' card after being unable to overcome the early overcast conditions and a Jubilee Field wicket which intermittently reared at one end and turned at the other.
F & C bowled with admirably accuracy making most of the conditions. Wickets fell quickly to Dan Reader (4-29), pictured, and Connor Clark (3-23) as Sway lurched to 79-7 (Will Millard 22) before a late rally saw another 55 runs added, last pair James Hardy and Oli Marshall making 25 of them. Sway were dismissed for a paltry 134.
Dave Steadman struck early, having Cape Town's Craig Jeffery caught behind by Alex Hall second ball. Thereafter, Sway generously provided 32 in wides, with skipper opener Tom Kent 22* and Jez Bulled 22 well in control - until the ex-Havant gloveman was caught and bowled by Richard Thomas.
With 25 overs of the F & C innings required to constitute a result, the rain came down to provide Sway with a welcome abandonment. The visitors had been more than unfortunate to be left stranded on 100-3 after only 23 overs.
Just ahead of Fareham in the log are South Wilts II, one of two sides they've beaten. They lost by 67 runs to Trojans, whose 199 centred around Yasin's 85. Set a target score of 176 off 32 overs, SW finished well short at 108-8, Seniors all-rounder Jamie Donaldson taking 3-23.
With only two wins from eight completed matches, Fareham lie 23 points beneath the nearest survival rung - a situation that could have been so different had luck gone their way in the immediate past fortnight.
Two weeks ago, they appeared on the cusp of beating Trojans when, defending 207, they had their Stoneham hosts 179-8. Cue a Trojans tailender to smack three big sixes and win the game.
If that wasn't galling enough, Fareham literally had victory thrust from their grasp at table topping Sway, whose eight-match winning start to the season was set to end when the weather intervened.
Fareham were on the brink of a surprise win, albeit it on run rate, when they moved to 100-3, chasing Sway's 134 all out, by the end of the 23rd over. Down came the rain to save Sway and rob Fareham, who needed to have batted 25 overs to constitute a result. Two more overs and Fareham would have celebrated a D/L win.
Undefeated Sway played their Monopoly 'Get out of Jail' card after being unable to overcome the early overcast conditions and a Jubilee Field wicket which intermittently reared at one end and turned at the other.
F & C bowled with admirably accuracy making most of the conditions. Wickets fell quickly to Dan Reader (4-29), pictured, and Connor Clark (3-23) as Sway lurched to 79-7 (Will Millard 22) before a late rally saw another 55 runs added, last pair James Hardy and Oli Marshall making 25 of them. Sway were dismissed for a paltry 134.
Dave Steadman struck early, having Cape Town's Craig Jeffery caught behind by Alex Hall second ball. Thereafter, Sway generously provided 32 in wides, with skipper opener Tom Kent 22* and Jez Bulled 22 well in control - until the ex-Havant gloveman was caught and bowled by Richard Thomas.
With 25 overs of the F & C innings required to constitute a result, the rain came down to provide Sway with a welcome abandonment. The visitors had been more than unfortunate to be left stranded on 100-3 after only 23 overs.
Just ahead of Fareham in the log are South Wilts II, one of two sides they've beaten. They lost by 67 runs to Trojans, whose 199 centred around Yasin's 85. Set a target score of 176 off 32 overs, SW finished well short at 108-8, Seniors all-rounder Jamie Donaldson taking 3-23.
