Basingstoke & North Hants are some way short of bringing ECB Premier Division standard cricket to their delightful tree fringed Mays Bounty ground.
The four-wicket defeat by unbeaten Division 1 leaders Portsmouth was their second in five early season matches and once again underlined their deficiencies in the run-scoring department.
Basingstoke, who moved across from the Thames Valley League in 2013, are now in their third season in the second tier of the Hampshire pyramid and seemingly no nearer than climbing any higher.
Five of their batsmen were clean bowled and another trapped leg before as they were hustled out for 118 in 35 overs in overcast conditions on Southsea seafront. Australian teen Fraser Hay (4-40), who doesn’t get a bowl for his Melville Grade first grade side in Perth, took three of the first four Basingstoke wickets.
Sixth-wicket pair Dean Nurse (21) and Martyn James (20) tried to launch a recovery, but Vickram Dawson (3-25) whipped through the lower middle-order to leave the Bountymen 118 all out with 15 overs unused.
Portsmouth skipper Richard Locke, pictured, hit an 11–boundary 60 to underpin the city club’s drive for a fifth straight win since last season’s Division 2 title triumph.
Basingstoke chipped away, taking six wickets – two of them by the promising teenage spin of Ash Neal (2-15 in ten overs) - before Portsmouth completed the formalities.
Basingstoke were very much second best and their constantly under-performing batsmen have a lot of runs to score if they are to make any significant impact this season.
Portsmouth’s grip on the SPL1 leadership tightened when second placed Liphook & Ripsley crashed to a six-wicket defeat to lowly Bournemouth and Rowledge beat Sarisbury Athletic, the third placed club, by 58 runs.
Matt Jones (4-27) and leg spinner Jem Warner (3-36) rushed Liphook out for a meagre 78 at Ripsley Park, where Jake Hurley (33) got Bournemouth across the line and to an important win.
Sarisbury Athletic lost half their wickets for 47 and were eventually bowled out for 182 by Southern Premier League Division 1 rivals Rowledge, who celebrated a 58-run win at Church Road.
They were already under pressure after Rowledge had posted 240 and, after Chris Broad (3-20) and left-arm spinner George Keeley had put half their side back in the pavilion, the game was effectively up.
Dan Clouting (53) and Shayne Freemantle (51) improved their prospects with a 112-run partnership, but once the stand was broken, Sarisbury fell away to 182 all out.
Earlier, Rowledge batted consistently at the top, with Sushant Balajee (42), David Lloyd (37) and Broad (37) all making useful contributions.
Totton & Eling’s win over OTs & Romsey has increased the pressure on Andover, who suffered a 71-run defeat by visiting Hook & Newnham Basics at London Road.
At last, Hook’s batting fired, with Ben Thane (66), Jordan Hobday (61) and Matt Love (56) easing the visitors to 269-5. Ali Hooper (54) and Glyn Treagus (46) responded, but Andover collapsed against the spin of Rhodes Franklin (4-41) and Kevin Pouler (2-16) and were dismissed for 198.
The four-wicket defeat by unbeaten Division 1 leaders Portsmouth was their second in five early season matches and once again underlined their deficiencies in the run-scoring department.
Basingstoke, who moved across from the Thames Valley League in 2013, are now in their third season in the second tier of the Hampshire pyramid and seemingly no nearer than climbing any higher.
Five of their batsmen were clean bowled and another trapped leg before as they were hustled out for 118 in 35 overs in overcast conditions on Southsea seafront. Australian teen Fraser Hay (4-40), who doesn’t get a bowl for his Melville Grade first grade side in Perth, took three of the first four Basingstoke wickets.
Sixth-wicket pair Dean Nurse (21) and Martyn James (20) tried to launch a recovery, but Vickram Dawson (3-25) whipped through the lower middle-order to leave the Bountymen 118 all out with 15 overs unused.
Portsmouth skipper Richard Locke, pictured, hit an 11–boundary 60 to underpin the city club’s drive for a fifth straight win since last season’s Division 2 title triumph.
Basingstoke chipped away, taking six wickets – two of them by the promising teenage spin of Ash Neal (2-15 in ten overs) - before Portsmouth completed the formalities.
Basingstoke were very much second best and their constantly under-performing batsmen have a lot of runs to score if they are to make any significant impact this season.
Portsmouth’s grip on the SPL1 leadership tightened when second placed Liphook & Ripsley crashed to a six-wicket defeat to lowly Bournemouth and Rowledge beat Sarisbury Athletic, the third placed club, by 58 runs.
Matt Jones (4-27) and leg spinner Jem Warner (3-36) rushed Liphook out for a meagre 78 at Ripsley Park, where Jake Hurley (33) got Bournemouth across the line and to an important win.
Sarisbury Athletic lost half their wickets for 47 and were eventually bowled out for 182 by Southern Premier League Division 1 rivals Rowledge, who celebrated a 58-run win at Church Road.
They were already under pressure after Rowledge had posted 240 and, after Chris Broad (3-20) and left-arm spinner George Keeley had put half their side back in the pavilion, the game was effectively up.
Dan Clouting (53) and Shayne Freemantle (51) improved their prospects with a 112-run partnership, but once the stand was broken, Sarisbury fell away to 182 all out.
Earlier, Rowledge batted consistently at the top, with Sushant Balajee (42), David Lloyd (37) and Broad (37) all making useful contributions.
Totton & Eling’s win over OTs & Romsey has increased the pressure on Andover, who suffered a 71-run defeat by visiting Hook & Newnham Basics at London Road.
At last, Hook’s batting fired, with Ben Thane (66), Jordan Hobday (61) and Matt Love (56) easing the visitors to 269-5. Ali Hooper (54) and Glyn Treagus (46) responded, but Andover collapsed against the spin of Rhodes Franklin (4-41) and Kevin Pouler (2-16) and were dismissed for 198.