SPCL2 Week18 - Rain helps OT&R clinch title

Old Tauntonians & Romsey clinched the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 championship without bowling a ball in anger.

Their final match of the season against relegation-threatened Gosport Borough was called off when the umpires deemed the Privett Park pitch to be unfit following Friday's rain.

The postponement of the match means that United Services, who lost by four wickets to runners-up St Cross Symondians, are relegated.

Ben Adams was the hero of St Cross Symondians' win at the Royal Green Jackets ground.

His occasional spin was rewarded with figures of 3-12 as United Services dipped to 159 all out, with Mark Toogood (34), Tim Simmonite (29) and Tom Clark (26) top scoring.

Adams later struck an unbeaten 62 and was supported by Mark Padwick (23 not out) as St Cross got in by four wickets at 161-6.

Lymington took advantage of the postponement of Easton & Martyr Worthy's match with Purbrook to clinch third place with a thrilling one-wicket win over Hursley Park at the Sports Ground.

Broken thumb victim Glyn Treagus got Lymington home with two leg-byes off the last ball of the 49th and penultimate over.

A hero of Dorset's dramatic C & G Trophy `bowl out' victory over Buckinghamshire the previous day will be in plaster for six weeks after fracturing the top of his right thumb in a slip fielding accident.

But Christian Pain was Lymington's real match winner, hitting an unbeaten 30 as his side regularly lost wickets and were second favourites after slipped to 128-7 chasing Hursley Park's 184-8 (Sandeep Halder 43).

Eugene Burzler (47) shone at the top of the Lymington order, but the innings fell apart against Stuart Wilson (3-38) and Halder (3-35).

Adie Hunt and Mike West began the repair work, but it was tail-end duo David Scott and Martin Gregory, who came in at ten with 36 runs still required, who did the real spadework alongside Pain.

Lymington still needed 36 runs to win when Gregory arrived at the crease but his partnership with Pain - before those two late leg-byes - got them home.

Sparsholt secured safety with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Burridge, who were pegged to 184-8 (Neil Cunningham 43) at the Norman Edwards Ground.

Tim Richings (80) led Sparsholt's victory cruise, sharing important stands with Bill Gunyon (21) and Kevin Foyle (39) as the Winchester side eased home.