HOOKED ON SECOND PLACE

Hook & Newnham Basics made up for the disappointment of their Southern Electric t20 Cup final defeat by Bashley (Rydal) by thrashing relegated Havant II by seven wickets.  It ensured Hook & Newnham of the runners-up position.
With Hook’s 2nd XI on the brink of promotion into Hampshire League, County Division 1 – a win at fifth-placed Lymington Saturday will clinch it – the North Hampshire club can reflect on another fine season.
Directly Jordan Hobday (3-19) took two early wickets, Hook had basement boys Havant on the run and realistically only teenager Simon Loat (33) put up much of a fight as the hosts slithered to 140 all out. Left-arm spinner Kevin Poulter (3-21) cut through Havant’s inexperienced middle-order to leave the visitors with a comfortable run chase.  Ben Thane (55) and Hobday (43) wasted no time in putting the Havant bowlers to the sword, the opening pair sharing a 90-run start, after which it was easy pickings for Hook.
Premier League Under-21 team captain Jack Cockram, pictured, hit a competitive-best 68 not out to haul Hartley Wintney out of dire trouble and to an eventual ‘scoring rate’ win over New Milton.  Cockram produced his heroics with HW on their knees at 92-7 – Dorset’s Eric Linge (3-30), Dan Loader (2-22) and Matt Freeman (2-50) having ripped the body out of the innings. Cockram initially added runs with Matt Digweed (30), but went on to set a new SPL2 record ninth-wicket stand of 96 with teenager Tom Flanders (45).  Cockram hit an unbeaten 68 as Hartley Wintney closed at 226 all out. Dan Adlem (43) and Freeman (23) gave New Milton a half-century start, which Scott Baldwin (3-19) interrupted to put the visitors on the back foot.  Adlem wasn’t dismissed until 110-4, after which David Wheeler (48) did his best to get New Milton above the required run rate.  He didn’t manage it, New Milton being six runs adrift of their target score when the match was abandoned at 166-7.  It was New Milton’s fifth successive defeat.
Hursley Park's chances of avoiding the drop were dashed by a combination of hard hitting from the Burridge top order and rain at The Quarters. In a game restricted initially to 37 overs, Burridge blew away their own fears of getting sucked into the relegation scramble by going straight on the offensive through openers Matt Godwin (23) and Neil Cunningham, who recaptured his early season form with a valuable 79. The pair put on 61 for the first wicket and, although South African Byron Van Der Merwe(24) was disappointed not to bolster his challenge to finish top of the SPL2 run charts, the game was effectively taken away from Hursley by Alex Styles. He blasted the home side's bowling with a mighty 84 from just 41 deliveries, ignoring the wet surface in the outfield by hammering eight sixes in a devastating display of power hitting.  It propelled Burridge to 251-5 in their reduced overs, with further rain after tea meaning that Hursley were faced with an even stiffer task of scoring 194 in 25 overs.  Their challenge had barely got underway when the rain set in again to codemn them to third tier cricket next season.
The Bournemouth-Rowledge match was washed out without a ball being bowled.