Grant Rouse, Liphook's hero at Stoke Park [Nick Cansfield]
Who are they and where do they come from ? Those were the questions being asked in the Liphook & Ripsley dressing room after they found out they would be travelling to play Eaton Socon in the fifth round of the Village Cup this Sunday.
That’s Liphook’s reward for a nervy but Grant Rouse inspired two-wicket win over Thames Valley League side Stoke Park on the outskirts of Slough – the Southern Premier League side being indebted to the Zimbabwean-born batsman/wicketkeeper’s match winning 35 not out.
Set just 118 to progress into the round of 16, Liphook were reduced to 100-8 and were facing a damaging defeat. But Rouse (elder brother of Adam of past Hampshire/Kent fame) hit 35, including a six and a quarter of fours, to guide the East Hampshire team home with 10 overs remaining.
But Stoke Green will be wondering whether it should be them preparing for the next phase – a visit to Eaton Socon – a Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Premier League club based just south of St Neots - after almost pulling off a victory.
Pressure
Stoke Park’s hosts’ hopes looked dead and buried after they were made just 117 from 38.2 overs, with Liphook skipper Sean Burton (3-10) the star of the show and spin pair Jamie Hall and Oscar Amis taking two wickets each.
Beaten 2018 Lord’s finalists Liphook and Ripsley were quickly thrust into a pressure-filled environment in the middle. Chris Martin struck a boundary-laden 25 but two wickets apiece for Gagan Singh and Zulfi Butt left them 60 for 6.
Rouse showed calm at the crease, however, and though wickets continued to tumble – Sean Burton became Tahir Kazmi’s second victim – he kept his cool.
Liphook still needed 18 with only two wickets remaining but Rouse showed his class, completing the chase with a pull for four to see his side through with 60 deliveries still to be bowled.
That’s Liphook’s reward for a nervy but Grant Rouse inspired two-wicket win over Thames Valley League side Stoke Park on the outskirts of Slough – the Southern Premier League side being indebted to the Zimbabwean-born batsman/wicketkeeper’s match winning 35 not out.
Set just 118 to progress into the round of 16, Liphook were reduced to 100-8 and were facing a damaging defeat. But Rouse (elder brother of Adam of past Hampshire/Kent fame) hit 35, including a six and a quarter of fours, to guide the East Hampshire team home with 10 overs remaining.
But Stoke Green will be wondering whether it should be them preparing for the next phase – a visit to Eaton Socon – a Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Premier League club based just south of St Neots - after almost pulling off a victory.
Pressure
Stoke Park’s hosts’ hopes looked dead and buried after they were made just 117 from 38.2 overs, with Liphook skipper Sean Burton (3-10) the star of the show and spin pair Jamie Hall and Oscar Amis taking two wickets each.
Beaten 2018 Lord’s finalists Liphook and Ripsley were quickly thrust into a pressure-filled environment in the middle. Chris Martin struck a boundary-laden 25 but two wickets apiece for Gagan Singh and Zulfi Butt left them 60 for 6.
Rouse showed calm at the crease, however, and though wickets continued to tumble – Sean Burton became Tahir Kazmi’s second victim – he kept his cool.
Liphook still needed 18 with only two wickets remaining but Rouse showed his class, completing the chase with a pull for four to see his side through with 60 deliveries still to be bowled.
Sarisbury Athletic's dreams of a Lord's Village Cup final were dashed despite a bizarre late sequence to their eventual two-wicket defeat by Cookham Dean, who play in the Thames Valley League Division 1 alongside Stoke Park.
Defending a modest 141-7, Sarisbury appeared set for a heavy defeat when the Berkshire champions eased to 129-3. But in a freakish 15-minute spell, Cookham Dean imploded and lost five wickets for just four runs, plunging to 133-8 in the process. Despite piling on the pressure with fielders crowding the bat, Sarisbury were unable to prise out Cookham's last two batsmen who survived a tense ordeal to guide the Maidenhead club into the last 16 and a home tie with Frocester.
Sarisbury found batting a trying affair after losing the toss, the ball frequently lifting off the soft Ricketts Field surface. Survival was the first objective, run scoring almost secondary. The slow unkempt outfield didn’t help.
It took Sarisbury beyond the mid-point of their 40-over allocation before they got 50 runs on the board, by which time Tom Mills, Jack Lovett and the in-form Josh Hill had departed, the latter after having played two sumptuous boundary shots.
Tight line
Curbing his natural attacking instincts, Sam Floyd (left above) buckled down and added a priceless 81 with Ricky Rawlins - Floyd taking until the 34th over before he reached a richly deserved half-century.
He was eventually trapped leg before for 59 (112-4), Rawlins (43) departing shortly before the end of the innings.
Sarisbury needed to bowl a tight line and make early inroads, but neither happened.
They broke through at 21 and again at 47-2 - by which time Josh Hill, so often so devastating with the bat, had seen his first two overs of the season hit for 20. It put Cookham Dean well on top.
The Berkshire champions progressed to 74-3 and, through Greg Davis (38), were almost home and dry at 129-3 with plenty of time to spare.
But when Tom Kitcher (3-20) removed Davis, Cookham suddenly collapsed, losing their fourth wicket at 129, a fifth at 130, two more at 132 before lurching to 133-8, left-arm spinner Sam Hill taking 2-24. Alas, it was all too little too late for Sarisbury, Cookham's winning hit coming via a big six into the adjoining cornfield.
Defending a modest 141-7, Sarisbury appeared set for a heavy defeat when the Berkshire champions eased to 129-3. But in a freakish 15-minute spell, Cookham Dean imploded and lost five wickets for just four runs, plunging to 133-8 in the process. Despite piling on the pressure with fielders crowding the bat, Sarisbury were unable to prise out Cookham's last two batsmen who survived a tense ordeal to guide the Maidenhead club into the last 16 and a home tie with Frocester.
Sarisbury found batting a trying affair after losing the toss, the ball frequently lifting off the soft Ricketts Field surface. Survival was the first objective, run scoring almost secondary. The slow unkempt outfield didn’t help.
It took Sarisbury beyond the mid-point of their 40-over allocation before they got 50 runs on the board, by which time Tom Mills, Jack Lovett and the in-form Josh Hill had departed, the latter after having played two sumptuous boundary shots.
Tight line
Curbing his natural attacking instincts, Sam Floyd (left above) buckled down and added a priceless 81 with Ricky Rawlins - Floyd taking until the 34th over before he reached a richly deserved half-century.
He was eventually trapped leg before for 59 (112-4), Rawlins (43) departing shortly before the end of the innings.
Sarisbury needed to bowl a tight line and make early inroads, but neither happened.
They broke through at 21 and again at 47-2 - by which time Josh Hill, so often so devastating with the bat, had seen his first two overs of the season hit for 20. It put Cookham Dean well on top.
The Berkshire champions progressed to 74-3 and, through Greg Davis (38), were almost home and dry at 129-3 with plenty of time to spare.
But when Tom Kitcher (3-20) removed Davis, Cookham suddenly collapsed, losing their fourth wicket at 129, a fifth at 130, two more at 132 before lurching to 133-8, left-arm spinner Sam Hill taking 2-24. Alas, it was all too little too late for Sarisbury, Cookham's winning hit coming via a big six into the adjoining cornfield.
