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SPCL 1 - Miller ten-year wait for ton keeps Andover top
Mike Vimpany (as published in Daily Echo) - 3 June 2002
Roger Miller struck his first league century for ten years as Andover beat Burridge by four wickets to maintain their lead at the top of the ECB Southern Electric Premier League.
He hit an undefeated 118 as Andover overhauled a Burridge total of 214-5 with eight balls of their 50-over match remaining.
Miller couldn't even recall his last Southern League century, except confirming "it was a long time ago." It was indeed - June 13 1992 : exactly 100 for Old Tauntonians against Longparish at the old Richard Taunton College ground in Southampton !
Miller's 118 not out at Burridge - an innings which contained 14 boundaries - carried Andover to their fourth win in five limited-over matches.
"We needed 40 off the last four overs and, with a few lusty cracks from Richard Taylor and Dean Woodhouse at the other end, got there with a bit of time to spare," Miller explained.
The Andover captain spent all but three balls of the match on the field after coming to the crease with Andoverrocking after two early blows by Nick Creal and Paul Belverstone.
But, supported by Ian Langdown (23) and several minor middle-order contributions, he turned the match, being particularly severe on Moeen Cheema, whose 4.4 overs cost 41 runs.
Cheema made his mark for Burridge, hitting 73 in a promising start with Ian Williamson (38), which South African off-spinner Gareth Tate (3-30) interrupted.
Paul Ancell (44 not out) and Chris Mepham (24 not out) took Burridge on to 214-5 - but it was not enough to spare the Whiteley club from a third defeat in four games.
Luke Sears, who led Hampshire YCs to the ECB Under-19 County Championship several years ago, was the hero of Havant's four-wicket win over Calmore Sports.
Havant bowled Calmore out for 100, but crashed to 37-5 against James Hibberd (2-14) and Christof Bothma (2-37) before Sears launched his rescue mission.
Almost single-handedly Sears, with an unbeaten 48, turned the tide for Havant, who had lost four wickets for only 11 runs on a difficult surface.
South African Mackie Hobson celebrated his Hampshire Board call up for the forthcoming ECB 38-County Championship match against Surrey with a splendid 4-15 spell for Havant.
The former Northerns and Natal medium-paceman ripped out three of Calmore's top five, including top scorer Clive Surry (20), and then removed Stuart Bailey (19), who was trying to initiate a recovery.
Bevis Moynhan (2-22) did his bit as Havant maintained the pressure on leaders Andover.
Champions BAT Sports, who had lost two of their previous three games, bounced back with a 114-run mauling of lowly Portsmouth at St Helen's, Southsea.
BAT dictated the game from the off, with Richard Kenway (65) and Damian Shirazi (27) providing a 75-run platform for the middle-order.
Warren Swan (3-31) created inroads, but Adam Hayes (25), Michael Watson (20) and Dave Banks added useful runs to lift BAT to 196-7.
Openers James Moon and Lee Savident were the only Portsmouth players to make double figures as Raj Maru's side, minus the influential Matt Keech, fell apart.
They were bundled out for 82, with Kirk Stewart (4-18), more accurate with an older ball, ripping through after Shirazi (2-35) had dismissed both openers.
Liphook & Ripsley continue to prop up the table after Russell Rowe's powerful 90 set up a storming nine-wicket win for South Wilts at Ripsley Park.
Liphook's fragile batting crumbled again, with only South African Alistair Gray (20) making a fist of it against dual left-arm pacemen James Tomlinson (3-21) and Shaun Adam (2-12).
They tumbled from 76-4 to 127 all out, with Rob Wade taking 3-13 with his military medium seamers.
Rowe, last season's leading Premier League run getters, wasted no time in launching South Wilts' victory bid.
He ruthlessly laid into the Liphook bowling, cracking a blistering 90 out of the first 114, leaving opening partner Paul Draper (27 not out) to complete the formalities.
© SPCL / Daily Echo / Mike Vimpany
| Players/Umpires | Roger Miller, Luke Sears, James Hibberd, Mackie Hobson, Richard Kenway, Damian Shirazi, David Banks, Lee Savident, Rajesh Maru, Matthew Keech, Kirk Stewart, Russell Rowe, James Tomlinson, Shaun Adam, Robert Wade, Paul Draper. |
| Tournaments | Southern Electric Premier League |
| Season | English Domestic Season |