Sparsholt’s hopes of featuring in the Southern Premier League Division 2 promotion stakes took a knock with a 92-run home defeat by improving Hartley Wintney, who celebrated a third successive win.
The Winchester club invited their ex-players of the past two decades to the Norman Edwards Ground – but the reunion party went flat as Sparsholt sank to 158 all out after the visitors had posted a formidable 250-8.
The defeat was Sparsholt’s third and dropped the pre-season title favourites down to fourth place, well adrift of Trojans and Calmore Sports, whose matches were abandoned, writes Mike Vimpany.
Hartley Wintney spent the first month of the season fastened to the SPL2 basement and faced a second consecutive relegation after losing their opening four games.
But, led by ex-Basingstoke all-rounder Pat Joseph, they dominated the show at Locks Lane.
Joseph (86) and Tasmanian Tommy Garwood (36) gave HW a 79-run cushion, which Scott Baldwin (31), Chris Saville (28) and Louis Lynch (22) were able to improve.
Stuart Tognarelli (50) fought a lone battle, losing four partners before being fifth out at 84, a second victim for Joseph (2-20).
David Gough (37) added some later runs, but Sparsholt’s innings generally ebbed away, with Rhys Batcup (3-36) and Garwood (3-50) picking up the wickets.
Trojans’ important match with third-placed Tichborne Park was abandoned after 22 overs, with Jamie Donaldson (3-37) having completed his new-ball spell and taken three of the four visitors’ wickets to fall.
Ben Allen (27), Tom Allam (27) and Justin Reid (21) scored most of Park’s 91-4.
Calmore Sports, who lie 29 points behind Trojans in the log, had winless Bashley (Rydal) II 49-1 when rain sent the players scurrying from the field after only 15 overs at Loperwood Park.
The same fate befell Hambledon, who were 75-2 at Paultons, where George Marshall (54) had just completed his half-century.
The Winchester club invited their ex-players of the past two decades to the Norman Edwards Ground – but the reunion party went flat as Sparsholt sank to 158 all out after the visitors had posted a formidable 250-8.
The defeat was Sparsholt’s third and dropped the pre-season title favourites down to fourth place, well adrift of Trojans and Calmore Sports, whose matches were abandoned, writes Mike Vimpany.
Hartley Wintney spent the first month of the season fastened to the SPL2 basement and faced a second consecutive relegation after losing their opening four games.
But, led by ex-Basingstoke all-rounder Pat Joseph, they dominated the show at Locks Lane.
Joseph (86) and Tasmanian Tommy Garwood (36) gave HW a 79-run cushion, which Scott Baldwin (31), Chris Saville (28) and Louis Lynch (22) were able to improve.
Stuart Tognarelli (50) fought a lone battle, losing four partners before being fifth out at 84, a second victim for Joseph (2-20).
David Gough (37) added some later runs, but Sparsholt’s innings generally ebbed away, with Rhys Batcup (3-36) and Garwood (3-50) picking up the wickets.
Trojans’ important match with third-placed Tichborne Park was abandoned after 22 overs, with Jamie Donaldson (3-37) having completed his new-ball spell and taken three of the four visitors’ wickets to fall.
Ben Allen (27), Tom Allam (27) and Justin Reid (21) scored most of Park’s 91-4.
Calmore Sports, who lie 29 points behind Trojans in the log, had winless Bashley (Rydal) II 49-1 when rain sent the players scurrying from the field after only 15 overs at Loperwood Park.
The same fate befell Hambledon, who were 75-2 at Paultons, where George Marshall (54) had just completed his half-century.