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SPCL 3 - Ventnor edging towards to safety
Mike Vimpany (as published in Daily Echo) - 26 July 2002
Ventnor are edging nearer first season safety in Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 after having to virtually rebuild the side that monopolized Hampshire League cricket in recent seasons.
They would certainly have fancied their chances of continuing to sweep aside all comers had the likes of Mark Garaway, Steve Snell, Ian Hilsum and the late Walter Masimula remained at Steephill.
But when the Islanders stepped up for their Division 3 debut against New Milton back in mid-May, only skipper Mark Whyte, Mark Fletcher, Andy White and Neil Dodds of last season's undefeated County Division 1 title winning side remained.
Predictably, it's been hard work for Ventnor's patched-up side ever since. They beat Havant II, Redlynch & Hale and Waterlooville convincingly enough.
In between, they suffered seven defeats which kept them in the danger zone. But a fourth win, by a six-wicket margin over last year's HL runners-up Hartley Wintney, has put Ventnor to within touching distance of safety.
Hartley Wintney, in serious danger of immediate relegation themselves after losing all but two of their nine games, totalled 235-9 (Andy White 4-40) on the Steephill shirtfront, with Australian Jimmy Castrisos (78) supported by Mark Digweed (32) and Dave Almond (31).
Ventnor got home with five overs to spare - Mark Fletcher hitting 104 and sharing a century opening partnership with Neil Westhorpe (36) before Island legend Jeff Hose belted 63 off 46 balls as only he knows how !
The win lifted Ventnor into fourth from bottom position but didn't stop skipper Mark Whyte from dropping his teammates a few reminders about the hard work still to be done.
"We've got five games left after today's visit by Alton and those matches include St Cross Symondians and Purbrook, two teams battling to go up - so there's a fair way to go yet," he pointed out.
Poor old Redlynch & Hale all but gave up hope of survival when they hit 272-5 - only to lose by six wickets to Ventnor a month ago.
And when Ian Bryan decided to get wed last Saturday, it left club stalwart Iain Souter with virtually a reverse strength side to take to Gosport Borough.
The outcome was inevitable - Gosport piling up 322-5 through Nathan Collins (85), Stuart Magee (54), John Adams (51) and young Craig Stares (43).
But Redlynch made a creditable 205 reply, with Lee Wordley celebrating his senior debut to the hilt, carrying his bat for 107 after taking 3-56.
Hook & Newnham Basics remain in deep trouble too after a rain-adjusted 26-run defeat by Paultons, who 258 all out owed much to tail end pair Peter Lamb and Lee Rayner.
Tony Richman (74) had dominated Paultons' 196-9, but Lamb (40) and Rayner (17 not out) frustrated Hook with a last-wicket stand of 62.
Hook were 106-1 - chasing an abridged Paultons total of 131 - when the game was abandoned, some 25.3 overs into the evening session.
Hambledon fancied their chances of improving their lowly status when Hampshire's Derek Kenway struck a glorious 135 not out against promotion outsiders New Milton at Ridge Meadow.
Kenway's innings, which formed an 80-5 rescue act with John Burdekin (48), was "a joy to watch" according to New Milton skipper Steve Watts.
But, once Ryan Beck got into his stride, Hambldon's 243-8 was always in danger. "He went out to the middle and took complete control," said Watts (33), who saw both Richard Wilson (26) and latterly Dean Miller (48) fire Milton to a five-wicket win and into fifth spot.
Waterlooville's anxieties were eased by a Chris Baumann inspired 168-run victory over Portsmouth II at Rowlands Avenue.
The Queenslander, who captains the Ville, hammered a blistering 147 in his side's massive 280 all out.
Once ever-youthful Stan Rudder (3-27) had ripped out Portsmouth's top order, only the margin of victory remained. Ali Love's 4-21 saw Portsmouth bowled out for 112.
St Cross Symondians began a crunch three-match spell today, which could decide on of the two promotion positions.
The outcome of today's visit to Purbrook and the forthcoming games with New Milton and Hursley Park will have a significant bearing on the destination of the title.
Mark Parker's domineering century against Leckford, who tumbled to 115 all out in the face of a mountainous 281-7, gave St Cross a useful five-point lead over Purbrook, who were without key players Mike Hennessy, Ian Hinter and Craig Williams this afternoon.
Purbrook posted a tidy 257-8 after Will Prozesky (47) had fired a ten-runs-an-over start against Flamingo at The Holt.
Hennessy, with an overdue 76, and Hunter (32) helped Purbrook on their way before Flamingo's, going nicely under Tom Cledwyn (28), sagged to 113-8.
Last pair Dave Breach (28) and Dave Wright (21) added an unbroken 51 for the last wicket to take the reply to 181-9 (Mark Stanley 3-28).
Alton, who appeared on course for a top two slot after beating Purbrook three weeks ago, desperately needed to win at Ventnor today if they were to avert a repetition of last year's promotion slip up.
The four-wicket defeat by Hursley Park was Alton's second in a fortnight and sent Julian Ballinger's troops down to third spot.
Alton were going along well when Michael Heffernan (46) departed at 100-2, but never recovered sufficiently to defend an eventual 195-8.
When Hursley lost three wickets for eight runs to slump to 71-4 (Jason Marr 39), it was anyone's game.
Matt Harvey's unbeaten half-century, aided by Rob Lowe (24) and Ben Smyth (24 not out), saw the Park home.
Bashley's Jo Hall won't want to remember his visit to Havant in a hurry, having damaged an eye socket and had eight stitches inserted in a facial wound after a rising ball from David Wade had gone through the grill of his visor.
Hall, who spent five hours undergoing treatment in Queen Alexandra Hospital, was still suffering from blurred vision four days after being hit and had no chance of playing against Gosport Borough today.
"The staff at the hospital were absolutely superb," said Hall, who was not the only casualty.
Veteran spinner Bob Paul, a recent recipient of the June bowling prize, pulled a hamstring, leaving Bashley with only nine fit men.
It was no surprise that Havant won, Jon Owen's 71 top scoring in a total of 177 before depleted Bashley were dismissed for 110, Matt Gover taking 4-10, his best figures for years.
© SPCL / Daily Echo / Mike Vimpany
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