   |
|
Home 2003 Season 2002 Season News Photo Gallery Club Directory Umpires SPCL Umpire Appointments Rules/ Accreditation Officials SEC Cup Awards Statistics Links |
|
|
Trojans lose basement battle and relegation threatens
Mike Vimpany - 11 August 2002
Trojans are facing almost certain relegation from Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 after crashing to an eight-wicket defeat at Rowledge. The trouncing by next Sunday's National Village Championship semi-finalists cast Trojans well adrift at the foot of the table.
The Stoneham club will have to win their last three games against United Services, Lymington and the title chasing Hampshire Academy team if they are to survive.
They were dismissed for 152 and resoundingly beaten by Rowledge, who have significantly closed the gap on fellow strugglers Hungerford, who were thrashed by ten wickets by the Academy.
A debut Premier League century by former Hampshire YCs captain Chris Yates sentenced Trojans to defeat at Rowledge.
Trojans owed much to Mark Goodall's unbeaten 55 as they reached 152 all out (Jeff Anning 3-23). But there was no stopping Rowledge - and Yates, whose undefeated 105 in an unbroken stand of 92 with David Lloyd (28 not out) carried the village semi-finalists home.
Rowledge host Oxfordshire club Shipton-Under-Wychwood in the semi-finals next Sunday.
Hampshire's Academy team boosted their prospects of winning the championship with a crushing win over Hungerford, who could yet suffer a second consecutive relegation.
Bottom of Premier 1 last season, Hungerford lie only marginally above Rowledge, whom they face in a potential do-or-die last game of the season on August 31.
They never really recovered from losing their first two wickets for only five runs at the Rose Bowl and were dismissed for a modest 128.
David Wheeler, who finished with 4-13 off 8.2 overs, and James Manning struck two early blows for the Academy, whose progress was checked before Irfan Shah (2-29) removed former Sussex wicketkeeper Nick Wilton (17) and Steve Wyatt (22) in quick succession.
The Hampshire youngsters were looking for a quick kill with Hungerford rocking at 46-4.
But Paul Warren (32) and Michael Spence (24) rallied, Hungerford moving on to 105 before Iain Brunnschweiler combined with England Under-15 recruit Mitchell Stokes to break the partnership.
When Spence departed two runs later at 107-6, Hungerford's resistance was broken - Wheeler returning to finish things off with three quick wickets.
Hungerford's 128 all out was never likely to test the Young Hawks, who had all 22 points in the nest by the halway stage of their reply.
Brunnschweiler's unbeaten 59, coupled with an SPL debut 51 by King Edward VI all-rounder Alex Richardson, swept the Academy to a ten-wicket victory.
The county youngsters are now 19 points clear of second-placed Easton & Martyr Worthy, with three matches remaining.
They round off their programme with visits to Old Tauntonians & Romsey and Trojans, either side of a home game with United Services.
Easton, whose visit to Sparsholt was postponed after Friday's heavy rain, finish off with matches against Winchester KS, Rowledge and Lymington.
United Services' scheduled home match against Old Tauntonians & Romsey was postponed after vandals broke into Burnaby Road and damaged the pitch.
"It appears that someone gained unauthorised entry to the ground overnight, pulled off the tarpaulins, removed a cover and dug a deep hole on a length," explained US secretary Peter Piercey.
"Regrettably, the contractors could not prepare another strip in time. This was the second occasion in the past six months that the ground has been broken into - last time one of the covers was wrecked," he added.
© SPCL
| Players/Umpires | Christopher Yates, Jeffrey Anning, Irfan Shah, Nicholas Wilton, Steve Wyatt, Paul Warren, Iain Brunnschweiler. |
| Tournaments | Southern Electric Premier League |
| Season | English Domestic Season |