Calmore’s talented Under 17s ensured the club came away from the New Forest Junior Cup Finals day at Langley Manor with some silverware when they convincingly defeated New Milton to lift the title.
On a day where Calmore had two sides competing, it was the Under 17s who triumphed after the Under 15s missed out against Old Tauntonians and Romsey.
New Milton’s Under 17s put Calmore into bat and they must have immediately regretted that decision as skipper Matt Taylor and Ben Johns, still on a high from his outstanding previous days antics, set about the bowlers with some ease.
With the score on 93, they lost their one and only wicket when Taylor was caught but not before he had smashed three boundaries and set up the remaining batsmen to push on – which they did. Johns was the first to depart on 52 not out (the rules for this competition state that players have to retire on reaching a half-century). He has hit 7 fours and two sixes in his short stay at the crease.
Now it was the turn of Michael Donovan as he replicated Johns’ effort with an unbeaten 51 which also contained seven fours and 2 sixes. It was left for George Woodhall to polish off the 20 over innings with a swashbuckling 36 not out as the ‘More amassed 182 for 1.
It was always going to be a big ask for New Milton and, as the sun was setting, the light was not as good as it has been during the day, but the Foresters did win the toss and elect to field first so would have expected those conditions. They lost a vital early wicket as Tom Pattison forced Nichols to the willing hands of Donovan and then the dangerous Will Crossley was superbly run out by skipper Taylor.
George Woodhall was next to the fray, dismissing the number three batsman and with the run rate climbing as quickly as the sun was setting, Harry Morgan picked up a brace of wickets including a superb leg-side stumping by Callum Stanton. Ollie Dennett also picked up two wickets as New Milton closed on 113 for 9, still some 69 runs shy of their target.
The feature of the New Milton innings was the excellent fielding and field placings set by the captain Matt Taylor. These boys have a very bright cricketing future ahead of them on the back of this excellent success.
They now go forward to represent the New Forest in the semi-finals of the Hampshire County Club Championships Kerry Cup on Friday (1st August) when they travel to May’s Bounty in Basingstoke to play the county’s northern winners, Basingstoke and North Hampshire CC.
Earlier in the day, the Under 15s narrowly lost to Old Tauntonians and Romsey by 21 runs but they can hold their heads high against the unbeaten league winners. Connor Pengelly took two wickets and Dennett one as the ‘More restricted the Romsey outfit to 108 for 5 in 20 overs.
Adam Pattison and Kaine Stanton shared a 35-run partnership but the OTs bowling was too strong, especially Katie George, the young lady on the books of England and Hampshire.
Under 17s scorecard: http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/666/666881.html
