Promotion decider imminent for OTR & St Cross
Old Tauntonians & Romsey and St Cross Symondians go head-to-head for the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 championship on Saturday, with just two points separating them at the top.
Mike Vimpany (Daily Echo)
17-Aug-2003
Old Tauntonians & Romsey and St Cross Symondians go head-to-head for the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 championship on Saturday, with just two points separating them at the top.
It will be a winner take all affair at the Romsey Sports Centre, 1pm, as the pair are well ahead of the rest of the field.
OT's flexed their batting muscle, with Charles Forward hammering 153 in a 294-2 romp against relegation threatened United Services.
The powerful left-hander, whose innings contained two sixes and 20 fours, dominated a 154-run opening partnership with Jodey Brown (41).
Forward, now the Division's leading 699 run scorer, added another hefty 140 with Raj Naik, who scored 55 not out before OT's closed at 294-2.
US rallied from 30-3 through Tom Clark (61) and Tim Simmonite (41), but after the teasing spin of Naik (3-45) removed both batsmen, were still facing a massive defeat at 151-6.
OT's failed to remove Paul Barsby, whose unbeaten 52 denied the leaders a precious bonus point as US hung out at 228-8.
Hampshire's Jimmy Adams played an influential role as St Cross Symondians trimmed Burridge by 88 runs at the Royal Green Jackets Ground.
Adams, who made 93, shared two significant partnerships as St Cross posted 245-7.
He added 92 with Steve Shaw (48) and 62 with Rhys Morgan (46) as St Cross reached 170-3 before losing late wickets to the guile of fit-again Andy Ford (3-53).
Stuart Charman (2-16) and Richard Boote (1-30) got amongst the top order as Burridge dipped to 104-7 (Peter Tugwell 36).
Oxford University hopeful Ed Brogan's unbeaten 41 swelled their final score to 157, while spin duo Ben Adams (3-50) and Will Mariner (2-34) picked their way through the lower order.
The spectre of relegation is looming ever larger at Sparsholt who, despite scoring 261-7, lost by five wickets to Hursley Park at the Norman Edwards Ground.
Kevin Foyle (67) and Kenya star Dave Walters (57) top scored for Sparsholt, who were equally well served by Nick Wolstenholme (37) and Jez Lawson, who hit a late 37 not out.
But any tea-time euphoria in the Locks Lane dressing room melted away when Adrian Aymes (95) and Raman Prendergast (91) produced a double-century opening stand for Hursley.
Paul Edwards (27) kept the score ticking along but, after a three-wicket burst by Andy Lang (3-62), Hursley got home off thre second ball of the final over.
Sparsholt's future will probably be decided on Saturday at Purbrook, who celebrated a third win in four weeks, beating Gosport Borough by 26 runs.
Purbrook recovered from 78-6 to score 162-8 (Paul Jenkins 4-29) and then bowled Gosport out for 136, despite a defiant 57 by Tony Stares.
Glyn Treagus (4-20) and Danny Peacock (3-32) bowled Lymington to a 20-run win at Easton & Martyr Worthy, who collapsed from 98-2 to 168 all out (Shaun Green 66).
Ben Craft (49) top scored in Lymington's 188 - Shaun Green (3-32) and Steve Green (3-40) sharing the bowling spoils.