HAVING secured their Southern Electric Premier Cricket League status the previous week, South Wilts produced another disjointed display to close the season with yet another defeat.

Skipper Rob Wade lost the toss and Bashley captain Andy Sexton opted to bat first.

With several players unavailable, South Wilts handed a debut to 16-year-old Simon Beetham, and after a nervy start, the youngster bowled a tidy opening spell.

Beetham, who has had a terrific debut season with the club's second string, where he finished as leading wicket-taker and high up in the league ratings, was rewarded for his accuracy, when Neil Thurgood edged to slip where Wade took the catch.

Roger Fouhy was unfortunate to finish wicketless from his opening burst but his replacement in the attack, Adie Holewell, bowled highly rated Hampshire and England junior Chris Jones to leave Bashley 41-2.

Bashley's overseas player Dan Friedman tried to up the rate but never looked comfortable and was trapped by Holewell lbw for 22.

From 76-3, James Manning, who survived a huge lbw shout from Holewell, 2-46, after pad-ding up to the same ball that had bowled Jones, and Callum Maher kept the score ticking over until at 121-3 Maher was removed by James Hayward for 27.

After Sexton had been bowled by the returning Fouhy, 8-1-18-1, Bailiff joined Manning for the crucial partnership.

Bashley's 135-5 became 172-5 before Bailiff and Vaughan both fell to Paul Draper, 2-21.

Any hope of a late flurry to the innings vanished as Beetham returned to mop up the tail.

He had both Nash and King caught behind by Morton and then bowled Manning, who had made the most of his early let off to hold the innings together with a fine 66.

Beetham finished with excellent debut figures of 8.5-1-30-4.

Wade was hopeful of a win at the break: "I've played on better wickets at Bashley so 198 was not a bad score but with the lightning outfield, we should have been able to get those runs. "I thought we bowled well without any discernible luck; I lost count of the number of shots that just looped into space."

But his hopes of a final day win received an immediate setback as Draper and Morton fell inside the first two overs to leave South Wilts 0-2.

However, Eddie Abel and James Hayward lifted the spirits as they took the attack to the Bashley pacemen.

The mood changed though when Hayward, 18, was trapped lbw by a King delivery that kept very low.

When Abel was snared at slip also off King, 3-38, for a fluent 23 and then Andy Hayward, 12, was caught behind off a Nash bouncer, South Wilts had slipped to 60-5 off just ten overs.

Rob Wade and Charlie Duffell attempted to consolidate the innings but at 80, Wade, 13, fell to a stunning slip catch by Jones off Manning, 3-26.

Duffell, 18, and Dan Webb, 14, followed as South Wilts petered out to 128 all out with still the best part of 18 overs left.

Wade was reflective after the heavy defeat: "We should have won that game, but we ended up losing badly. Seven of the first nine batsmen got themselves in and didn't go on to make a major score. That sums up our season really.

"Hopefully our players can learn from their experiences and struggles this season and go on to have a successful 2008."

Meanwhile, Havant were crowned Southern Electric Premier champions after their thumping win over Portsmouth.

Hursley Park's success at Bournemouth saved themselves and relegated Portsmouth.

1:15pm Thursday 6th September 2007

Print

Email this