Calmore Sports' Shawn Johnson (left) and Sparsholt teenager Josh May were the respective Players of the Round in the past two Voneus Village Cup ties last month - so it was perhaps no surprise they should again be the dominant force for their teams in the Hampshire County Final at Loperwood Park.
May top scored with a classy 92 for Sparsholt, who were beaten by four wickets with three balls to spare by Calmore Sports, Johnson flaying 77 off 70 balls after his side had lost their first two wickets for eight runs.
Eighteen-year old May oozed class at the crease. Left elbow upright, he picked off runs at will and had he not been unfortunately run out at 92 (179-7), Sparsholt might well have progressed beyond 201-7 (Dave Banks 33) and onto a winning total.
They began well enough with the ball, quickly reducing Calmore to 8-2 and at 45 and, with only 14 to his name, ought to have dismissed Johnson as well. The former Bexhill all-rounder drilled a routine catch to deep mid-off. Down it went and an hour or so later Johnson, with 77, and Hampshire media guru Will Brewster (61) had added 141 and put Calmore firmly in the driving seat.
Ironically and with Calmore 149-2, they both perished in consecutive balls - Brewster run out and Johnson (having hit two sixes and nine fours) to a brilliant leg-side catch by teenager Tom Ley.
Calmore wobbled, but picked themselves up through James Manning (18) and teen Max Bailey (26), fresh from three more victims behind the stumps, taking them to within touching distance of the national Village Cup rounds.
The other southern clubs left in the last 32 of the Village Cup are Congesbury (Somerset), Cookham Dean (Berks), Goatacre (Wiltshire), Horspath (Oxford), Linton Park (Kent), Valley End (Surrey), West Chiltington & Thakenham (West Sussex) Yelverton Bohemians (Devon).
May top scored with a classy 92 for Sparsholt, who were beaten by four wickets with three balls to spare by Calmore Sports, Johnson flaying 77 off 70 balls after his side had lost their first two wickets for eight runs.
Eighteen-year old May oozed class at the crease. Left elbow upright, he picked off runs at will and had he not been unfortunately run out at 92 (179-7), Sparsholt might well have progressed beyond 201-7 (Dave Banks 33) and onto a winning total.
They began well enough with the ball, quickly reducing Calmore to 8-2 and at 45 and, with only 14 to his name, ought to have dismissed Johnson as well. The former Bexhill all-rounder drilled a routine catch to deep mid-off. Down it went and an hour or so later Johnson, with 77, and Hampshire media guru Will Brewster (61) had added 141 and put Calmore firmly in the driving seat.
Ironically and with Calmore 149-2, they both perished in consecutive balls - Brewster run out and Johnson (having hit two sixes and nine fours) to a brilliant leg-side catch by teenager Tom Ley.
Calmore wobbled, but picked themselves up through James Manning (18) and teen Max Bailey (26), fresh from three more victims behind the stumps, taking them to within touching distance of the national Village Cup rounds.
The other southern clubs left in the last 32 of the Village Cup are Congesbury (Somerset), Cookham Dean (Berks), Goatacre (Wiltshire), Horspath (Oxford), Linton Park (Kent), Valley End (Surrey), West Chiltington & Thakenham (West Sussex) Yelverton Bohemians (Devon).
Josh May - imperious knock [Pictures Bob Selley]
 Calmore's Ben Johns trapped lbw. |  No need for VAR ... Matty Taylor misses a straight one ! |
