Langley Manor flexed their muscles for Saturday’s potential Southern Premier League Division 3 title decider at Fair Oak with a comfortable 107-run victory over lowly Havant II at Knellers Lane.
Jack Budd (72) and Azeem Hamid, with a lively 58 (including two sixes and five fours) led the way as Langley posted a healthy 278-6.
Once Andrew Galliers (30) and Harry Gadd (29) were dismissed, Havant’s reply fell away and Hampshire Under-16 spinner Tommy Spencer weighed in with a 4-31 return.
The Manor will go to Lapstone Park with a commanding 35-point lead. Victory over second placed Oaks will put them in a virtually unassailable position.
Fair Oak suffered early losses in the second v third duel with Basingstoke & North Hants II at May’s Bounty.
But Ed Kemp (58) and the reliable Asad Abbas (59) steadied the nerves of 24-2 and with contributions from Richard Featherstone (29) and Ross Stewart (21) Oaks pushed on.
A rapid 25 from KES student Greg McKenzie off 11 balls gave Oaks a competitive 242-8.
Basingstoke lost experienced duo Chris Froud and Steve Bucksey cheaply, but teenager Max Harsham (with six fours in his 36) remained a danger until he fell to Hampshire Under-17 left-arm spinner Charlie Gwynn (3-3-32), who also captured the key wicket of Brad Neal (23), who had punished Fair Oak earlier in the season.
At 127-7 it looked set for an early finish, but a late 55 partnership between Harry Smith (41) and Ash Neal took Basingstoke on to 188 before Asad Abbas (3-39) and Ross Stewart took the final wickets.
St Cross Symondians are hovering on Fair Oak’s shoulders and lie eight points behind in third place after comfortable six-wicket win over Hursley Park at the Green Jackets Ground.
Hursley, one of four sides under the threat of being relegated alongside Ryde, were indebted to skipper Nick Wheeler for their modest 139 all out.
They were in desperate straits at 77-7 after three wickets spells by Matt Perry-Lewis and Dave Orchand, but Wheeler (38) and Tim Bacon at least gave the bowlers some hope.
That was until Hursley sent down 41 wides !
Their profligate work with the ball left Paul Hawkins (29) and Orchard (28) with little batting to do.
Lymington II’s 65-run win at Harding Shute effectively ended any slim prospects Ryde have of avoiding an immediate return to the Hampshire League. It also boosted their own SPL3 survival prospects.
Drew Robinson (95) led the way as Lymington piled up 242-8, with Jack Roberts (46) and Conor Moors (34) in support.
Ryde lost Josh Procter through injury, depleting their already thin batting and bowling resources.
Ben Gregory (58) and Cameron Mitchell (48) rallied, but three wickets each for Chris Blake and Adie Hunt left the islanders’ 177 all out.
Waterlooville are only four points ahead of Lymington II in the relegation scrap after a 133-run tousing at Gosport Borough.
New Zealander Mike Ruffell (76), Tom Larner (49) and Archie Styles (39) helped Gosport reach 275-8, but the Ville could only manage 142 in reply.
Jack Budd (72) and Azeem Hamid, with a lively 58 (including two sixes and five fours) led the way as Langley posted a healthy 278-6.
Once Andrew Galliers (30) and Harry Gadd (29) were dismissed, Havant’s reply fell away and Hampshire Under-16 spinner Tommy Spencer weighed in with a 4-31 return.
The Manor will go to Lapstone Park with a commanding 35-point lead. Victory over second placed Oaks will put them in a virtually unassailable position.
Fair Oak suffered early losses in the second v third duel with Basingstoke & North Hants II at May’s Bounty.
But Ed Kemp (58) and the reliable Asad Abbas (59) steadied the nerves of 24-2 and with contributions from Richard Featherstone (29) and Ross Stewart (21) Oaks pushed on.
A rapid 25 from KES student Greg McKenzie off 11 balls gave Oaks a competitive 242-8.
Basingstoke lost experienced duo Chris Froud and Steve Bucksey cheaply, but teenager Max Harsham (with six fours in his 36) remained a danger until he fell to Hampshire Under-17 left-arm spinner Charlie Gwynn (3-3-32), who also captured the key wicket of Brad Neal (23), who had punished Fair Oak earlier in the season.
At 127-7 it looked set for an early finish, but a late 55 partnership between Harry Smith (41) and Ash Neal took Basingstoke on to 188 before Asad Abbas (3-39) and Ross Stewart took the final wickets.
St Cross Symondians are hovering on Fair Oak’s shoulders and lie eight points behind in third place after comfortable six-wicket win over Hursley Park at the Green Jackets Ground.
Hursley, one of four sides under the threat of being relegated alongside Ryde, were indebted to skipper Nick Wheeler for their modest 139 all out.
They were in desperate straits at 77-7 after three wickets spells by Matt Perry-Lewis and Dave Orchand, but Wheeler (38) and Tim Bacon at least gave the bowlers some hope.
That was until Hursley sent down 41 wides !
Their profligate work with the ball left Paul Hawkins (29) and Orchard (28) with little batting to do.
Lymington II’s 65-run win at Harding Shute effectively ended any slim prospects Ryde have of avoiding an immediate return to the Hampshire League. It also boosted their own SPL3 survival prospects.
Drew Robinson (95) led the way as Lymington piled up 242-8, with Jack Roberts (46) and Conor Moors (34) in support.
Ryde lost Josh Procter through injury, depleting their already thin batting and bowling resources.
Ben Gregory (58) and Cameron Mitchell (48) rallied, but three wickets each for Chris Blake and Adie Hunt left the islanders’ 177 all out.
Waterlooville are only four points ahead of Lymington II in the relegation scrap after a 133-run tousing at Gosport Borough.
New Zealander Mike Ruffell (76), Tom Larner (49) and Archie Styles (39) helped Gosport reach 275-8, but the Ville could only manage 142 in reply.