SOUTH Wilts cricketer Tom Morton certainly is not one for a quiet life.

Alongside team-mates Raffy Hussey and Jack Mynott, he prepared for the club’s opening ECB Southern Premier League time pennant match with Bashley by taking part in a triathlon in Bournemouth.

Suitably warmed up, he scored 110 of South Wilts’ 276-6 and then kept wicket for 57 overs, taking two catches which helped bowl Bashley out for 151 to win with nine balls of the match to spare.

Morton and co dipped their toes into the sea off Boscombe at six o’clock in the morning for a 750m swim, the first leg of the Salty Sea Dog triathlon, which attracted 110 entries countrywide.

The trio then went off on a 23-kilometre bike ride before completing a demanding morning’s schedule with a 5km run.

It was an exhausting day, as Morton confirmed.

He said: “I was okay arriving at the game for the 10 o’clock warm-up. Batting for 55 overs, but then keeping for 57 finished me off!

“The game itself was excellent – we didn’t get the 10th wicket until the penultimate over - once again underlining what a great format time cricket can be.”

It was a 127-run second-wicket partnership between Morton and Mynott (60) which shaped the South Wilts innings, the triathlon pair coming together at 37-1 when Devon paceman Don Goodey bowled Jack Stearman (10).

They took the South Wilts score on to 166 when Josh Digby (2-61) broke through – short of spin options, Bashley had to persevere with seam for a large chunk of the innings – and again at 233 when Ben Draper fell for 33, all-bar five of which came in boundaries.

Morton fell eight runs later, having completed his 25th league century for South Wilts (and his 33rd overall), his knock containing two sixes and 13 fours.

Arthur Godsal (21) and Matt Falconer (23) chipped in with quick cameos before South Wilts declared.

Bashley’s response began on a disastrous note with captain Digby trapped leg before first ball by left-armer Josh Croom (4-45) and, once they tottered at 43-4, batting out for a draw was their only option.

Harry Broderick (24) and Phil Morris (27) raised the Bashley reply to 90 before a double strike by Matt Burton (3-47) and another by Croom left them reeling at 95-7 and later 103-8.

All-day ‘time’ cricket is where South Wilts’ Indian left-arm spin import Aaryan Sen (2-22) is going to be influential and his link-up with Mynott had the Bashley tail fighting a rearguard action.

Mitch Wilson hit a valiant 36 not out and, with support from Sam Crisp and Ben Fletcher, frustrated South Wilts until the third ball of the 58th and penultimate over before the 10th and final wicket fell.

Bashley’s tenth-wicket pair added 30 before Fletcher was bowled by Sen.

Reflecting on his early morning triathlon adventure on Boscombe beach, Morton explained: “Raff is training for an Ironman in Holland in August, and I think Jack just has too much energy.

“I had an operation to treat Thyroid cancer in June 2020 and completed the Eastbourne Olympic Distance triathlon in June 2021, so my motivation was connected to this. Saturday was just a sprint distance, we had our second child in April, so training for anything more challenging wouldn’t have been possible.

“I was pretty pleased to hear I had finished ninth in my age category, though, until I realised there were only nine in my age category. I’ve got one eye on something bigger next June.”

  • HAMPSHIRE Seniors’ seam bowler Jamie Donaldson (4-32) took a wicket in each of his opening three overs at Stoneham Lane to seriously dent any prospect South Wilts’ seconds had over bettering Trojans’ 163 all out.