Old Tauntonians & Romsey produced a remarkable turnaround to beat table topping Portsmouth by five wickets and split the Southern Electric Premier Division 2 title race wide open.
At 136-5 chasing down Portsmouth's 240, OTs appeared to have little hope.
But an unbeaten 75 by Stuart Shapland and 41 not out from 16-year old Harry Tulk turned the match on its head.
The unbroken 94-run stand between the pair gave OTs victory and slashed Portsmouth's lead at the top to a mere five points.
Portsmouth dominated a large chunk of the afternoon session, with Jack Marston (71) and Henry Farrant (62) taking their score to 167-1.
But the innings collapsed, with nine wickets falling for 73 runs - Hampshire's Chris Wood (2-36) initiating the slide and Jody Brown (3-50) taking three of the last four wickets.
OTs prospects of knocking off 240 appeared bright while openers Gus Flack (25) and Charlie King (26) were together.
But a healthy 60-1 became 84-4 after former Hursley Park left-armer Vickham Dawson (3-43) broke through. Will Edwards (32) lifted the OTR spirits, but it was Shapland and Tulk with that 98-run stand who won the game.
Nick Wheeler fought a brave one-man show but was unable to save Hursley Park from a six-wicket defeat at Tichborne Park – a result which led to the visitors sinking deeper into the Premier Division 2 relegation abysms.
Wheeler arrived at the crease with Hursley tottering at 59-5 (Andy Marks 23) after double wicket strikes by Justin Reid (2-16) and Tom Allam (2-27).
He struck a gallant 76 as the visitors raised their total to 161, Adie Pond taking four of the last five wickets, including that of Wheeler, for a rather expensive 35 off 5.4 overs. Once Henry Don (61) and Jake Bristow (31) put 80 on the board, there was no way back for Hursley. Martin Cheyney’s unbeaten 37 completed formalities.
Paultons crashed to a fifth successive defeat when Bashley (Rydal) II beat them by 39 runs at Whitemoor Lane. They looked set to arrest the slide when Robert Pike (3-50) and Tony Richman (3-21) reduced them to 101-5. But a timely half-century by Simon Ridley (54) and Ross Grierson’s unbeaten 34 enabled Bashley to recover and reach 181-9.
Paultons’ top order fell to pieces against Andy Neal (3-35) and Simon Ridley (2-10) and at 55-5 there was little hope of that lean run coming to an end. Scott Hills (69) and Richman (25) continued the fight before Neil Taylor’s late spell of 3-38 ended their resistance at 142 all out.
Sparsholt are casting some anxious glances at the situation developing immediately beneath them in the Division 2 relegation zone.
A 99-run defeat by Hambledon has left Sparsholt only 14 points ahead of second from the bottom pair Hursley Park and Langley Manor, who meet at The Quarters on Saturday.
Sparsholt’s bowlers came under fire as Rob Atkins (68), Shane Nkomo (66) and Simon le Clerq (54) all hit half-centuries in a total of 293-6.
Mike Haworth (82) and Stu Tognarelli (46) provided Sparsholt with a lively start, but the Winchester side collapsed from 152-2 to 194 all out.
One-time Hampshire left-arm spinner Ian Turner and Rhidan Chapman both returned 4-29 as Sparsholt lost their last eight wickets for only 42 runs.
Wayne Royan took his season’s haul to 31 wickets with a best yet spell of 5-19 which set up a comfortable 97-run for third placed Fawley over Langley Manor at Holbury.
Royan, who won the Premier Division 2 Cricketer of the Month in June, sent the Manor crashing to 102 all out with his left-arm spin bowling. Fawley earlier posted 199-8.
At 136-5 chasing down Portsmouth's 240, OTs appeared to have little hope.
But an unbeaten 75 by Stuart Shapland and 41 not out from 16-year old Harry Tulk turned the match on its head.
The unbroken 94-run stand between the pair gave OTs victory and slashed Portsmouth's lead at the top to a mere five points.
Portsmouth dominated a large chunk of the afternoon session, with Jack Marston (71) and Henry Farrant (62) taking their score to 167-1.
But the innings collapsed, with nine wickets falling for 73 runs - Hampshire's Chris Wood (2-36) initiating the slide and Jody Brown (3-50) taking three of the last four wickets.
OTs prospects of knocking off 240 appeared bright while openers Gus Flack (25) and Charlie King (26) were together.
But a healthy 60-1 became 84-4 after former Hursley Park left-armer Vickham Dawson (3-43) broke through. Will Edwards (32) lifted the OTR spirits, but it was Shapland and Tulk with that 98-run stand who won the game.
Nick Wheeler fought a brave one-man show but was unable to save Hursley Park from a six-wicket defeat at Tichborne Park – a result which led to the visitors sinking deeper into the Premier Division 2 relegation abysms.
Wheeler arrived at the crease with Hursley tottering at 59-5 (Andy Marks 23) after double wicket strikes by Justin Reid (2-16) and Tom Allam (2-27).
He struck a gallant 76 as the visitors raised their total to 161, Adie Pond taking four of the last five wickets, including that of Wheeler, for a rather expensive 35 off 5.4 overs. Once Henry Don (61) and Jake Bristow (31) put 80 on the board, there was no way back for Hursley. Martin Cheyney’s unbeaten 37 completed formalities.
Paultons crashed to a fifth successive defeat when Bashley (Rydal) II beat them by 39 runs at Whitemoor Lane. They looked set to arrest the slide when Robert Pike (3-50) and Tony Richman (3-21) reduced them to 101-5. But a timely half-century by Simon Ridley (54) and Ross Grierson’s unbeaten 34 enabled Bashley to recover and reach 181-9.
Paultons’ top order fell to pieces against Andy Neal (3-35) and Simon Ridley (2-10) and at 55-5 there was little hope of that lean run coming to an end. Scott Hills (69) and Richman (25) continued the fight before Neil Taylor’s late spell of 3-38 ended their resistance at 142 all out.
Sparsholt are casting some anxious glances at the situation developing immediately beneath them in the Division 2 relegation zone.
A 99-run defeat by Hambledon has left Sparsholt only 14 points ahead of second from the bottom pair Hursley Park and Langley Manor, who meet at The Quarters on Saturday.
Sparsholt’s bowlers came under fire as Rob Atkins (68), Shane Nkomo (66) and Simon le Clerq (54) all hit half-centuries in a total of 293-6.
Mike Haworth (82) and Stu Tognarelli (46) provided Sparsholt with a lively start, but the Winchester side collapsed from 152-2 to 194 all out.
One-time Hampshire left-arm spinner Ian Turner and Rhidan Chapman both returned 4-29 as Sparsholt lost their last eight wickets for only 42 runs.
Wayne Royan took his season’s haul to 31 wickets with a best yet spell of 5-19 which set up a comfortable 97-run for third placed Fawley over Langley Manor at Holbury.
Royan, who won the Premier Division 2 Cricketer of the Month in June, sent the Manor crashing to 102 all out with his left-arm spin bowling. Fawley earlier posted 199-8.