Four-times winners South Wilts crashed to an embarrassing ten-wicket Southern Premier League T20 Cup second round defeat after being skittled for a meagre 42 at third tier Waterlooville.
It was the lowest total ever recorded in the 20 year old t20 competition, in which South Wilts played four Ageas Bowl finals between 2013 and 2018.
South Wilts made a serious error of judgement by batting first on a damp, bowler friendly Rowlands Avenue surface and, with the ball darting and zipping around, half their side was back in the pavilion with only 17 runs on the board.
Left-armer Ashan Silva (4-14) did the damage as James Degg, Jack Stearman and Ben Draper feathered catches behind to Dave Birch, who finished with five victims.
Harry Broderick ran himself out before Silva rearranged Archie Fairfax-Ross’s stumps.
Fielding out of their skins, Ville sent Rob Pitman, Tom Grant and Tom Bolan packing in quick succession, Joe Mitchell (2-6) striking twice in a frugal four-over spell as South Wilts lurched to 26-8.
That meagre total became 42 by the time South Wilts were bowled out in the 18th over.
Waterlooville, unbeaten and top of Premier Division 2, took 40 balls to complete South Wilts’ humiliation, Kiwi Josh McGregor smashing one straight six in his 25 not out. Birthday boy Archie Reynolds made 11.
In the league fixture, left-armer Tom Grant celebrated his fourth red ball ‘five-fer’ wicket return in five matches - but his efforts were in vain as rain washed out South Wilts’ prospects of beating ECB Southern Premier Division rivals Totton & Eling.
Grant took 5-54 as Totton were dismissed for 159, but rain swept in off Salisbury Plain with South Wilts’ 27 without loss after five overs.
The Shrewton dairy farmer now has 27 league victims and, with the season at its halfway point, already has one more ‘five-fer’ return than 48-wicket Josh Croom achieved in his award winning 2022 summer.
Grant cut through Totton’s middle-order leaving Billy Blyghton (46) and, after his dismissal, Josh May (35) to hold the innings together before Jack Mynott’s off-spin ripped through the tail. He took 3-11.
James Degg (20 not out) hit four boundaries as South Wilts hit 27-0 in reply before the rains came.
South Wilts seconds are tottering on the lip of the Division 3 relegation zone after a 67-run defeat at Trojans, who made 199 all out. Set a target score of 176 off 32 overs, South Wilts reached 108-8 in reply.
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