NEW MILTON TO FACE PURBROOK IN HAMPSHIRE INDOOR CRICKET FINAL

It will be a New Milton-Purbrook Hampshire Indoor Cricket Final at the Rose Bowl in the New Year – with the winners qualifying for the 2010 ECB Six-a-side Championships, which begin in February.
The pair qualified for the county final after winning their respective semi-finals against Sarisbury Athletic and Old Tauntonians & Romsey.  The final is at the Rose Bowl on Sunday January 22, starting at 11 o’clock. The winners will travel to Berkshire in the opening national round.
New Milton beat Sarisbury Athletic by two wickets with three balls of their semi-final to spare.
Sarisbury, who had crushed Easton & Martyr Worthy by six wickets in their opener, were only able to scrape together 119-3 against the New Forest League champions, who controlled the match.
Simon Orr (27), Michael Bond (20) and Matt Journeaux (15) did their best for Sarisbury.  But New Milton always maintained a ten runs per over scoring rate, with their success largely based around a lively 48-run opening partnership between David Wheeler (22) and Eric Linge.  New Milton lost three wickets – two of them to Peter Hammond – but James Whitehurst (25 not out) and Linge, who finished with an unbeaten 31, overcame any difficulties to see their side home.
OTs & Romsey had similarly won comfortably against Hook & Newnham Basics, but their bowlers came under fire as Purbrook rattled up 151-4.
Steve Mitchell (38) and Graham McCoy, with a brisk 30, put bat to ball as all the Purbrook players got into double figures.  OTs were never quite able to match the required scoring rate, though John Dowling, with a battling 48, Charlie Forward (26) and Danny Mills (24) tried their best.  Purbrook’s victory was soured when Alan Mengham tore a calf muscle while batting – an injury that makes him a doubtful starter for the county final.
Sarisbury Athletic breezed past Easton & Martyr Worthy’s 109-5 with all wickets standing and four overs in hand.  Easton lost two quick wickets and, despite Kevin Neave (42), Steve Green (30) and Farhan Bashir (25), were never in a strong position.  Bond (27) and Journeaux (25) effectively settled affairs.
Hook & Newnham Basics were literally wide of the mark - and the stumps - as they crashed out at the first attempt.  They were expected to be too strong for Southern Electric Premier League rivals Old Tauntonians & Romsey in the quarter-finals.  But skipper Shane Brewer can hardly have expected Hook to bowl so badly and, ultimately, lose by a 21-run margin.
They conceded a staggering 53 runs in wides and another ten in no balls - gifting OTs 69 runs in extras as the Romsey side posted a formidable 150-2 in 12 overs.  Chief culprits were Jordan Hobday, who conceded 25 extras in his two overs and Ben Briggs, who gave away 16 sundries off his solitary over.
The OTs batsmen barely needed to lay bat on ball as the Basics bowlers sprayed the ball around.  Openers Paul Longland (27) and John Dowling (26) both retired.  Hook's reply got off to the worst possible start with Ben Thane caught off the very first ball of the innings.  Briggs, who went on to make 51, Hobday (32) and Glenn Williams (21) made a fight of it but, with Hook & Newnham eventually dismissed for 129, the damage had long been done.
Hampshire Indoor Championships
Quarter-finals
Old Tauntonians & Romsey 150-2 (Longland 27, Dowling 26)
Hook & Newnham Basics 129 (Briggs 51, Hobday 32, Mills 3-28)
Old Tauntonians & Romsey won by 21 runs.
Easton & Martyr Worthy 109-5 (Neave 42, Green 30, Farhan 25, Jewell 2-21)
Sarisbury Athletic 111-0 (Bond 27, Journeaux 25, Hammond 18)
Sarisbury Athletic won by six wickets.
Semi-finals
Purbrook 151-4 (Mitchell 38, McCoy 30)
Old Tauntonians & Romsey 131 (Dowling 48, Forward 26, Mills 24, Dean 2-17, Kenny 2-35)
Purbrook won by 20 runs.
Sarisbury Athletic 119-3 (Orr 27, Bond 20)
New Milton 120-4 (Linge 31, Whitehurst 25, Wheeler 22, Hammond 2-17)
New Milton won by two wickets.