A productive and positive weekend of results – and another brilliant weekend for one particular player!
SARISBURY ATHLETIC v CALMORE SPORTS
SPCL Division 1
Calmore Sports won by 5 wickets
Sarisbury Athletic 212-8 (Ben Fisher 5/37)
Calmore Sports 213-5 (Ben Johns 78, Shawn Johnson 41)
The 1st XI made it back to back wins to move up to third in the remarkably congested top of the SPCL Division 1 (just 2 points separate the top five sides!) with a comfortable five wicket victory over Sarisbury Athletic.
The home side, asked to bat first on losing the toss, were soon 26-4 against an inspired spell of bowling from Ben Fisher, appearing for the first time this season. He crashed his way through the top order in an opening spell of 4-18 including two in two when Floyd and skipper Hill were cleaned up in successive balls. Nathan Feltham, a closed season signing from Paultons (and we know about him after his exploits in the Village Cup last year) looked to blast his side back into contention with five sixes in his 69 and latter responses from Franklin (37) and Harris (44*) at least gave the hosts something to bowl at.
Fisher finished with Calmore best figures of 5/37 while Steve Wright returned typically outstanding figures of 10-4-9-0. Ben Perry and Shawn Johnson both claimed a wicket.
Calmore’s reply got off to a sticky start at 14-2 with Will Brewster and Marcus Bound both back in the pavilion but the very much in-form Ben Johns was joined by Johnson to put on 104 for the third wicket. Johnson hit five fours in his 41 but the innings was, once again, set around Johns. His 104-ball 78 – with eight fours and two sixes – was the glue to the innings and allowed Max Bailey (21) and later James Manning (22*) to see the side home with two overs to spare.
CALMORE SPORTS II v LANGLEY MANOR II
Hampshire League Division 3 South
Calmore Sports II won by 134 runs
Calmore Sports II 257-5 (Paul Lock 77, Sam Moss 70, Dipanjan Dey 45)
Langley Manor II 123 (Jono Maton 4/27, Ryan Lomax 2/21)
Played 3, Won 3 – this captaincy lark seems easy for Matt Taylor as he saw his side hit the top of the table with an ceremonious hammering of local rivals Langley Manor II at Loperwood by a mammoth 134 runs.
Former Calmore man Kaine Stanton won the toss and put Calmore into bat and then watched his bowlers put to the sword to the tune of 257-5. A brilliant 77 from Paul Lock led the way, sharing a 111 run third wicket stand with Sam Moss, who hit his highest score for the club – a 68-ball 70 with eight fours and two sixes. Dipanjan Dey then came to the crease and cracked four sixes – a couple clearing the trees at the lower end of the ground – on his way to a 20-ball 45!
Any hopes that the visitors held of overhauling the 257 total were undermined by Jono Maton, who claimed figures of 4/27 – his third four-wicket haul for the club. Feeling was that he has bowled better! Only Ethan Terris (51) held up the Calmore procession to victory as all six bowlers used picked up wickets – Ryan Lomax grabbing 2-21 from his nine overs.
VENTNOR II v CALMORE SPORTS III
Hampshire League Division 4 South
Ventnor II won by 6 wickets
Calmore Sports III 166 (Ollie Tull 36, Callum Greasley 24, Darren Vann 23)
Ventnor II 167-4 (Sam Vidler 2/29)
Callum Greasley’s 3rd XI have endured a tough start to life in County 4 South but have been played well in defeat, it once again happening when the 3s were the first side this weekend to head to Steephill.
Choosing to bat first, Calmore did well to reach 166 all out in 43.1 overs although would have fancied more at 87-2 when Darren Vann (23), Greasley (24) and the returning Ollie Tull (36) going well. However, the experience of Mark Fletcher – a regular Ventnor 1st XI player and would appear again the next day – zipped out the tail with 3-7 and Jack Powell 3-33.
And it was Fletcher again that steered his side to the victory, remaining undefeated on 74. Yannick de Mezieres Lepervanche and Greasley both took wickets but it was Sam Vidler who was the pick, taking 2-29.
After playing superbly in just about losing to Waterlooville II last weekend – hope is high that this run of defeats is just early season nerves and also coming up against Southern League side Second XIs.
CALMORE SPORTS IV v WINTON V
Hampshire League Division 6 West
Match Abandoned
After cruising past Lyndhurst & Ashurst II last weekend, it was hoped to continue this good start. However, the pitches at the Southampton Sports Centre were deemed to be unfit for play after some rain during the week, leaving 22 players bitterly disappointed.
SUNDAY
VENTNOR v CALMORE SPORTS
Voneus National Village Cup Round 3
Calmore Sports won by 8 wickets
Ventnor 190 (Shawn Johnson 4/28, Dan Croft 3/19)
Calmore Sports 191-2 (Ben Johns 100*, Shawn Johnson 46*)
Is there anyone stopping him? Another Village Cup masterclass from Ben Johns led the reigning champions into the Hampshire Final against Bramshaw with a thumping eight-wicket win at Ventnor.
A healthy support travelled across the Solent for this challenging game against fellow SPCL Division 1 opposition and they were well set at 118-2 after 25 overs but an impressive bowling display from Johnson (4-48) and latterly Dan Croft (3-19) stopped the hosts from posting anything like the score that was threatened at one point.
The visitors lost a couple of wickets on their way – Brewster for 13 and Taylor for 6 but it just brought Johnson to the crease to join Johns. 12.5 overs later, they had seen off the remaining 108 runs with Johns collecting his SIXTH successive Village Cup 50+ score from just 88 balls (12 fours, 1 six) while his partner helped himself to an unbeaten 46 from 42 balls.
Victory secured with 11.5 overs to spare by eight wickets and the returning road to Lord’s continues!
