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COCKSPUR CUP – ALTON NICK VICTORY IN STEEPHILL THRILLER...
Ventnor are out of the Cockspur Cup national club championship – despite racking up 264-8 against first round opponents Alton at Steephill.
The Islanders’ total fell two runs short of Alton’s towering 266-5 in a 53-run thriller, the outcome of which was in doubt until the very last ball.
Michael Heffernan’s 113, which included two sixes and 13 fours, scored alongside a competitive best from teenager Scott Myers (56), underpinned the bulk of Alton’s total, which received a late boost from Bruce Oliphant (29).
Ventnor gave chase, with Mark Fletcher (57) and Matt Compton (30) providing a 99-run start, which slipped to 116-3 after Oliphant (4-51) twice broke through.
Ian Hilsum (45) and Neil Westhorpe (31) kick-started the run chase, which continued unabated as wickets fell.
Charlie Freeston (34) was at the crease during a thrilling finale - hitting Julian Ballinger’s penultimate ball for a huge straight six and then, with a boundary needed off the last ball, seeing Mark Heffernan make a dramatic stop just inside the line to leave Ventnor two runs short at 264-8.
New Milton took less than 20 overs to end Weymouth’s Cockspur Cup ambitions at Redlands.
They dismissed the Dorset League side for 125 (Dave Pearce 52) and breezed home by eight wickets – Ben Neal cracking an unbeaten 51 and Iain Griffiths hitting 32 not out.
But Lymington were unable to raise a side for their scheduled visit to Privett Park and conceded their first round tie to Gosport Borough.
“We made over 40 phone calls to would-be players, but had only six guys confirm,” lamented skipper Adie Hunt.
Andover, surprisingly knocked out in the first round at Gosport last season, successfully cleared the initial hurdle at Sandhurst, winning by 4 runs.
Andover defended 172-9, restricting the Berkshire club to 148-9 in reply.
Former Hampshire Under-19 left-hander Neil Randall cracked an unbeaten 143 as Cove piled up 338-3 before defeating Basingstoke & North Hants (259 all out) by 79 runs.
Gary Hounsome’s 53 proved in vain as United Services were dismissed for 126 and beaten by five-wicket by Purbrook, who will receive Totton & Eling in round two.
Second round pairings on May 13 include: Alton v Havant, Andover v Finchampstead, Cove v Thatcham Town or Farncombe, Falkland v Hursley Park, Gosport Borough v Bournemouth, New Milton v South Wilts; Portsmouth v Bashley (Rydal), Purbrook v Totton & Eling.
PREMIER LEAGUE SET TO PLAY MORE REP GAMES...
Round 1 (April
29): Cove v Basingstoke & North
Hants, Gosport Borough v Lymington,
Sandhurst v Andover, Thatcham Town v Farncombe, United
Services Portsmouth v Purbrook, Ventnor v Alton, Weymouth v New Milton.
Round 2 (May 13): Cove or Basingstoke & North Hants v Thatcham Town or Farncombe, Falkland v Hursley Park, Gosport Borough or Lymington v Bournemouth, Portsmouth v Bashley (Rydal), Sandhurst or Andover v Finchampstead, United Services Portsmouth or Purbrook v Totton & Eling, Ventnor or Alton v Havant, Weymouth or New Milton v South Wilts.
PREMIER LEAGUE NEW BOYS DENY PARLANE LINK
Newly promoted
St Cross Symondians have rubbished rumours that they are to sign
record-breaking New Zealander Neal Parlane as their overseas player
for the coming ECB Southern Electric Premier League cricket season.
Parlane, who has
produced a string of big scores for Wellington in New Zealand
provincial cricket this winter, played for BAT Sports in 2003 and
2004, shattering Robin Smith's long standing batting record with
1,074 runs in his first season at Southern Gardens.
He has spent the past
two summers playing club cricket in Hertfordshire and was rumoured
to be seeking a return to his former Hampshire roots.
But newly appointed St
Cross Symondians skipper Mark Padwick has dismissed rumours that
Parlane is headed for Winchester.
"It is true we are
talking to someone in Wellington to come to us as a player/coach for
the coming season, but it's certainly not Parlane," he said.
SOUTH WILTS LOSE
KEY MAN SENNECK ...
South Wilts, meanwhile,
have lost prominent all-rounder Alex Senneck to West of England
Premier League club Corsham.
"Alex has bought a
property in Melksham, which is far closer to Corsham and will play
his cricket there, which is a great pity," said South Wilts captain
Rob Wade.
Senneck shared the
Premier League bowling award last year, with 36 wickets.
Teenage opening batsman
Eddie Abel, 18, may miss the start of the season after recent
surgery on a shoulder injury picked up playing for Melville in
Perth, WA.
DORSET DUO JOIN
BOURNEMOUTH
Bournemouth will be
boosted by at least three newcomers - two of them Dorset Minor
Counties Championship players - when they open their SPL challenge
at South Wilts on May 5. Teenage medium-pace bowler Dan Belt
(pictured) and top order batsman Ben Lawes have joined the Chapel
Gate club from Weymouth, while Bournemouth have also recruited
Hampshire Academy all-rounder Simon Watkins.
Belt and Lawes,
24, believe the move will boost their respective prospects of
playing regular Minor Counties cricket with Dorset.
The 19-year old Belt,
who played in last season's MCCA Trophy final at Lord's, wants to
play cricket professionally and believes playing in the SEPL will
help him achieve his goal.
Dorset cricket manager
Shaun Wallbridge fully supports the moves by the Weymouth pair.
"On a personal note, I
think it is good that Dan and Ben have shown great ambition to go to
a different club to try to establish themselves in a higher
league. I think it can only develop their game. They will be facing
better batsmen and better bowlers and playing against better teams
in a very competitive league," he said.
Scott believes that
Bournemouth's third signing, 18-year old Simon Watkins, is another
significant boost for the club. "Simon's a very talented left-hand
top order batsman and tidy off-spin bowler who's a fine prospect.
"He'll get plenty of
opportunity with us, batting high up the list and getting a lot more
spin bowling than he's probably been accustomed in the past," Scott
said.
Along with neighbours
Bashley (Rydal), who are believed to have snapped up Portsmouth
seamer James Manning, Bournemouth will not be having an overseas
player this season.
"We are already seeing
the benefits of investing in our own youth development,
with youngsters like Ed Denham making a mark at just 16 years of
age.
"There's one or two more
like him and that's where our future lies."
PREMIER CHAMPIONS
TO DEFEND CROWN UNDER TOTTON & ELING BANNER
Totton will have its own cricket team playing in the ECB Southern
Electric Premier League this summer – and they’ll be starting off as defending champions !
Title holders BAT Sports have reformed under the new name of Totton & Eling and will play all
their matches at Southern Gardens, off
The name change follows the disbandment of the BAT Sports &
Social Club, which ceased trading in January following the sale of the Southern Gardens
site to Linden Homes.
The Totton & Eling
cricket club is part of the new Totton Sports Club, which
opens its doors for the first time this weekend.
There had been speculation in local cricket circles that BAT
Sports – Premier League cricket champions in both 2005 and 2006 - might disband
following the closure of the retail tobacco plant in
All last summer, doubts lingered about the future of Southern
Gardens as a sports ground.
But new owners Linden Homes have given the green light for cricket
to be played, as usual, at the ground this summer.
“It’s great news for everyone
and, in the past couple of months, we’ve been busy attending to all the formalities
towards becoming a brand new community sports club for the Totton
& Eling area,” said chairman John Bellamy.
“It’s obviously taken a fair while to tie up all the
legalities, hence the reason why we’ve only just had our inaugural AGM and be able to
make this announcement.”
On the field, the new Totton & Eling cricket club will be virtually the same group of players that
won back-to-back Southern Electric Premier League championships with BAT Sports in the
past two summers.
“We have brand new gear, with a slick navy blue and red trim,
but the players themselves will be almost the same double title winning squad – but
playing under a new name,” Bellamy said.
David Banks will continue to skipper a side boosted by the return
of left-hand opening batsman Damian Shirazi after completing
his studies at
He is expected to open with former Hampshire all-rounder Lee Savident, who walked away with the SPL batting honours
last season.
Dan Goldstraw and James Hibberd will again spearhead a bowling attack, strengthened by the
return to full fitness of off-spinner Richard Dibden.
The one-time Hampshire spinner has been plagued with shoulder
problems for the past two seasons, but has been a regular at the club’s Monday
evening
The only departure from the Southern Gardens scene is Wiltshire
leg spinner Pat Turk, who has returned to play for Spencer cricket in the Surrey
Championship.
Totton & Eling
will have their 2nd XI playing in the Premier League’s Division 3 and a 3rd
XI in Hampshire League Regional South West Division 2.
Junior cricket will continue to play a major part at Southern
Gardens, where Totton & Eling
plan to field teams at four different age levels this summer.
“We’ll have teams turning out regularly at Under-9,
under-11, under-13 and under-15 in the various New Forest Leagues,” Bellamy said.
“Plus there will be a great emphasis on coaching, all
starting just after Easter
“Summing it all up, Southern Gardens will be a great place
for youngsters from the Totton & Eling
areas to come this summer.
“There’s a great community feel about the place and we’re
very excited about the future,” he added.
Further information about junior and senior cricket at Totton & Eling this summer can be
obtained from either John Bellamy or Simon Preston on 023 8086 2143.
* Former
Gooch scored over 13,000 runs for
He is now
A party of teenage South Wilts cricketers will be putting the February blues far behind them when they jet off to Cape Town on Thursday evening for a 12-day half-term tour. The Salisbury-based youngsters will be playing six matches in South Africa's Cape Province, with games against Boland and Western Province junior sides and another in the Langa township. Jamie Bennett, Rob Pittman, Simon Beetham, Dom Webb, Dan Scykelmoore and Shaun Dixon (pictured above) are among a party of 14 players, whose trip has been backed by Southern Electric, sponsors of the local ECB Premier League. South Wilts have been busy raising funds for the trip for the past 12 months. Besides playing cricket, the squad will visit Robben Island, Table Mountain and do some coaching in the local townships. PORTSMOUTH IS AWARDED ECB CLUBMARK
FORMER BOURNEMOUTH ALL-ROUNDER
GETS AUSSIE ASHES CALL... Bournemouth’s Richard
Scott is backing his old Chapel Gate team-mate Adam Voges to shine in next week’s
third Ashes Test in Perth - if the Western Australian all-rounder gets the chance to play
against England at the WACA. ACADEMY YOUNGSTER SPINS HIS WAY
INTO The highly promising
16-year old left-arm spinner, who plays regularly in the Southern Electric Premier League,
is in a party of 14 promising youngsters selected for England YCs
month-long tour of The tour consists of two
triangular one-day tournaments – the first between The games will all be
played in Dawson described his England call-up as “quite a
surprise”. “I’ll be the youngest player on the tour by a long
way, but for a 16-year old it’s simply fantastic to get a call like this,” he
beamed. Wearing the three lions on his jumper, won’t be an
entirely new experience for Dawson, who was picked for the England Under-16 tour to South
Africa in February. “I’ve played for the Under-16s and Under-17s this
year, but I never expected Under-19 international cricket, not for a while yet
anyway,” he smiled. Fresh from signing a two-year deal with Hampshire –
Gloucestershire and Warwickshire were keen to sign him – Dawson was scheduled to
spend the winter in Western Australia at Paul Terry’s cricket academy in Perth. “That’s all changed now and I’m having to
completely reschedule my winter timetable, starting almost immediately,” he said. Instead of playing A-Grade Cricket for Melville this
weekend, Dawson is packing his bags for a Sunday evening flight back to his parents home
in Calne, Wiltshire. Dawson, who isn’t 17 until March, is one of the
youngest cricketers playing in the WACAs demanding A-Grade pennant competition. He found himself catapulted into the Melville first team,
alongside Australia A all-rounder Adam Voges, after scoring two centuries in lower grade
matches. “It’s been an incredible experience, playing
against a few State guys and some quality Australian guys, but generally I think I’ve
gone ok,” he said. “What’s pleased me most is my level of fitness,
which I’ve worked hard on ever since I flew out here. “Paul Terry puts a massive input into our training :
every Monday morning we’re running up and down Fremantle beach – and on the sand
that’s hard, believe me. “We’re in the swimming pool and the gym –
it’s hard work, but makes you all the fittter when you’re batting, bowling or
fielding. “I’ve just felt so good, so lithe when I’ve
played at the weekends and I’m sure I’ll be pretty fit when we fly out to
Malaysia and play in their oppressive heat.” Dawson’s been training alongside fellow Hampshire
youngsters Eddie Abel, Roy Cockram and Mitchell Stokes in Perth for the past two months. His cricket potential has already got the nod of approval
from Western Australia Under-19 vice-captain Luke Towers, a Melville team-mate. “Liam’s a very talented player – a real class
above anything we’ve got here and some older then him.
We’re sorry to see him go, but are really delighted (for him),” he said. Towers, 18, opens for Melville in WACA A-Grade cricket and
will be playing locally in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League next summer. TOM MORTON WINS
PREMIER LEAGUE YOUNG CRICKETER AWARD... South Wilts' batsman-wicketkeeper Tom Morton, pictured, got an unexpected 21st birthday present when he was named ECB Southern Electric Premier League Young Cricketer of the Year. Morton, in his debut season at Lower Bemerton, had already received the SPL's wicketkeeping award - he snared 24 victims behind the stumps - at the SPL dinner when he got the call back to the podium to collect the prestigious John Millett Memorial prize. Tom, who hit five half-centuries scoring 528 runs this summer, is the first South Wilts player to win the Young Cricketer award. "I knew I was somewhere in the frame, but was shaking like a leaf when I got the call. It was totally unexpected," Morton confessed. Tom's father Terry Morton was a respected Southern League cricketer with Waterlooville and played regularly for the league's representative sides. Runner-up was Hampshire Academy opener Benny Howell, who played for England Under-17s this year. |
SOUTH WILTS YOUNGSTERS SET FOR CAPE TOWN TOUR
