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SPCL 1 - As you were at the top as BAT and Havant win
Mike Vimpany (as published in Daily Echo) - 30 June 2002
The ECB Southern Electric Premier League has reached its halfway mark, with ten points separating Havant and BAT Sports, the defending champions, at the top.
The leading pair both won - BAT by a crushing 157-run margin against Calmore Sports, but Havant off the very last ball at Bournemouth.
BAT trimmed Havant's lead by a solitary point at the weekend, but clearly the second meeting of the two juggernauts at Havant Park on Saturday week will have a huge bearing on the outcome of the title.
A league best by Damian Shirazi and Richard Dibden's five-wicket haul carried BAT to an easy win over Calmore Sports, who - James Hibberd apart - surrendered meekly.
It was a different story at Chapel Gate, where Malcolm Hobson bowled Chris Cole off the last ball of the match to give Havant a dramatic 39-run win over Bournemouth.
All-rounder Richard Hindley enjoyed a superb day, hitting a powerful century and taking five wickets in Havant's win.
BAT made hay after being put into bat by Tom Pegler - Shirazi's 129 dominating a massive 273-6 off 62 overs. His innings, which included a spate of boundaries, was initially supported by Richard Kenway (31), then Australian Michael Watson (61) in a second-wicket stand which yielded 118 - and put BAT firmly in command.
Shirazi batted all but five runs of BAT's towering total, with Hibberd (4-70) the only Calmore bowler to emerge with any credit from the onslaught.
Calmore's plight deepened as Dan Goldstraw (3-40), who had taken ten wickets in his previous two matches, and Kirk Stewart (2-39) ripped out Mark Archer, Jez Goode and Paul Cass to leave the visitors rocking at 17-3.
Hibberd showed his emerging quality and virtually took BAT on single-handed, making 55 before becoming Stewart's second victim at 96.
By then, Dibden's off-spin had begun to take effect - the one-time Hampshire 2nd XI player removing the entire Calmore lower order to finish with 5-22 as the visitors were dismissed for a sorry 116 all out.
"A terrific game of cricket" was how former Havant skipper Paul Gover described the 39-run win at Bournemouth - a game that went to the wire before the 2000 league champions finally clinched 24 key points.
Fortunes fluctuated throughout the contest, with Hindley's domineering 100 the feature of a strong start by the visitors, who moved to 244-3 on the strength of supporting contributions from Bevis Moynan (38) and Paul Gover (46).
But Havant, without three first choice players, incredibly lost their last seven wickets for 18 runs - Dan Jackson (4-20) and Kristian Wilson (3-45) breaking apart the top order before carving through the lower ranks.
Matt Swarbrick clearly thought a target of 263 was within Bournemouth's compass as he came out with all guns blazing, cracking a no nonsense 80 before Havant finally clung on to the fourth chance he offered.
Although Alex Allum fell early, Swarbrick's innings pushed Bournemouth firmly into contention at 125-1 ... only for Martin Miller (36), his century second-wicket partner, to fall just three runs later.
Julian Cassell (45) and Dan Jackson (29) continued to have Havant on the back foot as Bournemouth progressed to 198-3. But when the fourth-wicket duo perished to Hindley's off-spin, Havant switched tact - and went for the kill.
Hindley, who finished with 5-40, took four wickets in succession to leave Bournemouth hanging on grimly at 221-9.
It looked as though Chris Cole and Jo Wilson might force a draw but after being frustrated for three overs, Havant finally got their man with Malcolm Hobson ripping the last delivery of the day through Cole's defences to earn the visitors a crucial victory.
Bournemouth, whose last seven wickets had fallen for 25 runs, were dismissed for 223.
© SPCL / Daily Echo / Mike Vimpany