George Watts dismissed Andover 's top three batsmen for ducks.
When New Milton lost their opening four matches of the season, it looked as though a second consecutive Southern Premier League relegation might be on the cards.
But a dramatic turnaround, fuelled by a heartening performance at table topping Hook & Newnham Basics, has seen the Green & Golds win their last three SPL1 matches and claw themselves out of the bottom two.
To be fair, New Milton did play four of the lead clubs in the opening month, so losing to Portsmouth, Sarisbury Athletic, Sparsholt and Hook & Newnham Basics wasn’t entirely unexpected.
But after running Hook close, New Milton have put together three straight wins, starting with Rowledge (by 20 runs), then Ventnor (four wickets) and last weekend Andover, whom they beat by six wickets.
Hampshire’s Lewis McManus was among the first three Lions batsmen to be dismissed by George Watts for ducks, after which Charlie Ayres hit an unbeaten 76 to take the visitors to 140 all out, Oli Wilmore taking 2-38 and Dan Loader (3-17) finishing the innings off with a hat-trick.
New Milton wobbled at 44-3, but for the fourth week running Lee Beck took control of the situation and just missed a fourth successive fifty with his match winning 49 not out. His unbroken stand with brother Ryan (31 not out) got Milton home.
But a dramatic turnaround, fuelled by a heartening performance at table topping Hook & Newnham Basics, has seen the Green & Golds win their last three SPL1 matches and claw themselves out of the bottom two.
To be fair, New Milton did play four of the lead clubs in the opening month, so losing to Portsmouth, Sarisbury Athletic, Sparsholt and Hook & Newnham Basics wasn’t entirely unexpected.
But after running Hook close, New Milton have put together three straight wins, starting with Rowledge (by 20 runs), then Ventnor (four wickets) and last weekend Andover, whom they beat by six wickets.
Hampshire’s Lewis McManus was among the first three Lions batsmen to be dismissed by George Watts for ducks, after which Charlie Ayres hit an unbeaten 76 to take the visitors to 140 all out, Oli Wilmore taking 2-38 and Dan Loader (3-17) finishing the innings off with a hat-trick.
New Milton wobbled at 44-3, but for the fourth week running Lee Beck took control of the situation and just missed a fourth successive fifty with his match winning 49 not out. His unbroken stand with brother Ryan (31 not out) got Milton home.
Lee Beck, 221 runs in his last four knocks for New Milton. Lymington Times picture.
