HIBBERD SPARKS AS BAT RETAIN ELECTRIC CUP

James Hibberd was the star turn as BAT Sports retained the Southern Electric Cup with a 26-run win over Bournemouth at the Hampshire Rose Bowl. It was to prove the first leg of a Premier League and Cup double for the Totton club.

The Wiltshire all-rounder was named man-of-the-match after top scoring with 47 and later ripping out the Bournemouth middle-order with a 3-23 return. BAT posted 137-6 in their 20 overs, and then restricted Bournemouth ’s reply to 111-8.

It was the first time since Basingstoke & North Hants dominated the competition in the late 1980s that any club had successfully defended the 29-year old trophy.

“BAT played the game on a higher plain and generally outplayed us in virtually every department,” reflected Bournemouth captain Richard Scott, a beaten 2003 finalist against Havant. “I thought we clawed things back quite well in the second phase of their innings, but overall we didn’t do ourselves justice.”

BAT’s own form had been uncertain in the weeks leading up to the weather-delayed final, but the victory proved to be the springboard for an eventual ‘double’ triumph.

Things began to go wrong for Bournemouth when Adam Dicker floored a mid-wicket boundary catch off David Banks in Matt Metcalf’s opening over. It didn’t cost them dearly – Banks chipping a catch to backward gully off Jo Wilson ten minutes later – but it set the pattern for a rather untidy fielding display.

BAT, who had played their Get out of Jail card in snatching a semi-final victory against Portsmouth , scored 16 off the initial four overs, and by the halfway point of their innings had 70 on the board, with Hibberd – who cracked two 6s and six fours in a forceful 47 – and Damian Shirazi going along nicely.

But in the 12^th over and just when a half-century appeared his for the taking, Hibberd stepped inside a leg-stump delivery from David Kidner and was bowled. “I wasn’t that disappointed not getting 50 – it was more important to get a decent score on the board and go on to win the game,” he said.

Shirazi (37) too opened up as BAT sped to 95 off 13 overs – before the left-hander spooned up a simple catch to Darren Cowley at cover. Richard Kenway (22) did his bit, but BAT lost the thread for a while, particularly when Richard Scott (3-34) began to create inroads into their middle-order.

With four overs remaining, they had slipped to 107-4, but the last three overs proved particularly productive with 24 more runs lifting BAT towards a competitive 137-6.

With the outfield slowed by recent rain, it was never easy for any of the batsmen to force the pace, even though the cup holders managed three 6s and 11 fours in their innings.

And when BAT took the pace off the ball completely by tossing the ball to veteran left-arm spinner Terry Rawlins, it became even harder for the Bournemouth batsmen. Bournemouth needed Richard Scott and Darren Cowley to fire if they were to overhaul BAT’s total.

Scott played several neat shots off his legs but in the fourth over located Archie Norris’s safe palms at deep mid-wicket. Nick Park perished in a run-out mix-up soon afterwards and Bournemouth , at 14-2, were headed for defeat.

All the time Cowley remained at the crease, Bournemouth were in with a shout, albeit a slight one. And BAT, along with their vociferous band of followers, knew it …

He saw Hibberd (3-23) remove Mark Harris and Dicker in the 11^th over (at 53-4), but promptly took 11 runs off the next over from David Banks (2-33). But, having reached 42, Cowley skied a high catch into the ultra-safe hands of Simon Preston on the long-on boundary. It was the catch which secured the match for BAT.

At 67-3 and Cowley back in the pavilion, it was all over bar the proverbial shouting. Matt Metcalf and David Kidner offered brief resistance, but Bournemouth left the field at 111-8 a well beaten outfit.

 Semi-final scare

Ironically and for the second season running, BAT played their “get out of jail free” card in the semi-finals.

Saved by the rain in the 2004 semi-final at Havant, BAT appeared to be facing certain defeat at 56-7, chasing Portsmouth ’s modest 101-9 at Hursley Park . But, fresh from a 3-20 return, Jez Ord stepped up to win the match for BAT, who got home off the penultimate ball having needed 11 runs to win off Paul Ancell’s final over. 

In the other semi-final at Southern Gardens, Darren Cowley bludgeoned 88, including five towering sixes and nine fours, as Bournemouth cruised past Andover ’s tame 133-8, which had been built around Richard Taylor (33), Roger Miller (28) and Tim Saye (25). Bournemouth were home and dry inside 17 overs, Cowley proving unstoppable as the passing Southampton-bound trains came under an aerial assault.

Semi-finals:

Andover 133-8 (Taylor 33, R Miller 28, Saye 25) Bournemouth 134-2 (Cowley 88). Bournemouth won by 8 wickets.  Portsmouth 101-9 (Savident 22, Ord 3-20) BAT Sports 103-8 (Ord 28, Christie 3-18). BAT Sports won by two wickets.

Record score

BAT Sports pair James Hibberd (95) and David Banks (48) posted a record Electric Cup partnership as Havant were beaten by 37 runs in a Southern Gardens quarter-final batting fest.

The openers shared a 159-run start as BAT smashed the Havant attack for 208-8 off 20 overs, but had to watch the scoreboard carefully as the visitors hit back with 171-9, Michael Thistle (46) and Pineo adding 35* to his 4-43 return. Banks completed an equally effective evening with 4-52.

Trojans, the only non-Premier Division side in the last eight, bowed out against Andover at Stoneham Lane .  Simon Williams (44) and Jamie Sedden (28) produced a 71-run start, but Richard Taylor (4-24) triggered a collapse which saw Trojans lose eight wickets for 42 runs. Mark Miller’s unbeaten 55, scored alongside elder brother Roger’s 25*, eased Andover home by eight wickets. Neil Thurgood (49) and Adam Loader (37) gave Bashley a sound start against Bournemouth at Chapel Gate, but a three-wicket spell by Darren Cowley, which coincided with five tight overs from Richard Scott, curbed the scoring. Jo Wilson (3-32) made three late breakthroughs to leave Bashley defending 121-8. Bournemouth wobbled at 42-3, but Nick Park (36*) and Scott, who made a timely 40, pulled the match from Bashley’s reach and put the beaten 2003 finalists into the semi-finals. Liphook & Ripsley’s tie was rained off three times before Portsmouth eventually sealed a 16-run victory at Ripsley Park .  The city club posted 121-6 with Jack Harris sadly lacking support in Liphook’s 105-run reply.

3^rd round:

Bashley (Rydal) 121-8 (Thurgood 49, Loader 37, Wilson 3-26, Cowley 3-32) Bournemouth 122-3 (Scott 40, Park 36, Cowley 23, King 3-26). Bournemouth won by 7 wickets.  BAT Sports 208-9 (Hibberd 95, Banks 48, Pineo 4-43) Havant 171-9 (Thistle 46, Pineo 35, Banks 4-32). BAT Sports won by 37 runs. Portsmouth 121-6 (Thane 49, Barnes 25, Wright 3-17) Liphook & Ripsley 105 (Harris 37, Hayward 3-19, Manning 3-20). Portsmouth won by 16 runs.  Trojans 115-8 (Williams 44, Sedden 28, Taylor 4-24) Andover 116-2 (M Miller 55, R Miller 25). Andover won by 8 wickets.

Andover edge thriller

South Wilts’ hopes of emulating their 2002 Rose Bowl final triumph ended when Andover beat them by two runs in a second round thriller at Lower Bemerton.

South African left-hander Pieter Haasbroek’s unbeaten 67 guided Andover to 132-7 off 20 overs.

Teenager James Hayward appeared to be pointing South Wilts towards a quarter-final place with a fine 53, but at 123-4 and South Wilts within sight of victory, he was bowled by Richard Taylor (3-33).His dismissal proved crucial as South Wilts closed on 130-5, two runs behind. Andy Sexton hit an unbeaten 73 in Bashley-Rydal’s 50-run win at Tichborne Park, while one-time Hampshire all-rounder Lee Savident smashed the Burridge attack for 127 – the third highest competition highest individual score - as Portsmouth romped to 207-5 and a 108-run win over the SPL3 club. Will Prozesky made a curious Havant exit at Purbrook, hitting 65 in his (then) club’s 27-run win. He promptly transferred back to Havant the next day !  BAT eased through with a seven-wicket win over New Milton, while Liphook & Ripsley inflicted Alton’s first competitive defeat of the summer by a six-run margin at the Jubilee Ground. Hursley Park fancied their chances after bowling Trojans out for 118 and moving to 45-1, but suffered a mid-innings collapse and were dismissed for 100.

2^nd round:

Andover 132-7 (Haasbroek 67, Crick 3-21) South Wilts 130-5 ( Hayward 53, Laney 24, Taylor 3-33). Andover won by two runs. Bashley (Rydal) 177-4 (Sexton 73, Loader 48, Neal 25) Tichborne Park 127-5 (Gerrard 59). Bashley (Rydal) won by 50 runs.  Calmore Sports 71-8 (Ali Mohamed 3-18) Bournemouth 72-1 (Cowley 50). Bournemouth won by 9 wickets. Havant 158-3 (Prozesky 65, Hindley 53) Purbrook 131-7 (Wessels 51, Hindley 3-31, Cox 3-33). Havant won by 27 runs.

Liphook & Ripsley 130-6 (Bulled 41, Smyth 37, Ballinger 3-35) Alton 124-7 (Gadsby 26, Crawford 3-17, Brownlee 3-45). Liphook & Ripsley won by six runs.  New Milton 92 (Adlem 21, Ord 4-28) BAT Sports 96-3 (Hibberd 38). BAT Sports won by 7 wickets. Portsmouth 207-5 (Savident 127, Ford 3-41) Burridge 99-4 (Abbott 29, Cawte 25). Portsmouth won by 108 runs.

Trojans 118 (Williams 28, Green 3-30) Hursley Park 100 (Wheeler 22, Wood 3-22). Trojans won by 18 runs.

 Lymington in a spin

Lymington suffered one of the worst collapses in Southern Electric Cup history when they lost eight wickets for only 15 runs and were literally sent spinning out of the competition by  first round rivals Calmore Sports at Loperwood Park .

The New Forest club appeared set for a challenging total at 77-1 (Pete Smith 38, Adie Hunt 29) but the introduction of left-arm spinner Mark Boston (5-9) caused a total collapse – Lymington plunging to 92-9 and an eventual 111 all out. Simon Ennew snapped up five victims. Calmore lurched to 20-3 before an 83-run partnership between Tom Pegler (49*) and Ennew (32) guided Calmore to a six-wicket win.  Old Tauntonians & Romsey took an unexpected tumble, losing by six wickets at Tichborne Park, where wily left-arm spinner Vic Primmer (3-24) and Will Allam (2-14) pegged the visitors to  104-7 (Keith Trodd 33*) Martin Cheyney (44) and John Stock (20 not out) steered Tichborne home.  With 72 and three wickets, Mark Miller was the inspiration behind Andover’s three-wicket win at Sparsholt, while Easton & Martyr Worthy’s 13-run win at Stoneham Lane proved in vain when they contravened competition rules by fielding two foreign nationals against Trojans, who were awarded the game. 

Electric Cup 1^st round:

Andover 132-7 (M Miller 72) Sparsholt 126-7 (Stuart 35, Hayes 31, Nicholls 31, M Miller 3-31). Andover won by 3 wickets.  Easton & Martyr Worthy 150-6 (Collins 48, Spencer 30, Smith 28) Trojans 137-8 (Williams 26). Easton & Martyr Worthy won by 13 runs. ( Easton & Martyr Worthy fielded ineligible player, tie awarded to Trojans). Hursley Park 169-5 (P Marks 48, J Taylor 30, Greatham 25) Fair Oak 108 (Prendergast 3-23). Hursley Park won by 61 runs.

Liphook & Ripsley 130-6 (Bulled 41, Smyth 37, Ballinger 3-35) Alton 124-7 (Gadsby 26, Crawford 3-17, Brownlee 3-45). Liphook & Ripsley won by six runs.  Lymington 111 (Smith 38, A Hunt 29, Boston 5-9) Calmore Sports 114-4 (Pegler 49, Ennew 32). Calmore Sports won by 6 wickets. Old Tauntonians & Romsey 104-7 (K Trodd 33, V Primmer 3-24) Tichborne Park 105-4 (Cheyney 44, Caldicott 3-21). Tichborne Park won by 6 wickets. Portsmouth & Southsea 52 ( Gardner 3-11) Burridge 53-2 (Brunschweiller 23). Burridge won by 8 wickets.  Purbrook 145-8 (Wessels 73, Styles 3-35, Jenkins 3-36) Gosport Borough 131-9 (Ward 38, Harrop 36. J Mitchell 4-27). Purbrook won by 14 runs.