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SPCL 1 - Andover back on winning trail, thanks to Radford
Mike Vimpany (as published in Daily Echo) - 30 June 2002
Andover, the early season ECB Southern Electric Premier League pacemakers, are back on the winning trail after two consecutive defeats.
Toby Radford, the former Sussex and Middlesex batsman, marked his return from injury with a decisive 67 not out which set up a six-wicket victory over Bashley (Rydal).
The early season pacemakers seemed to be fading out of the BAT-Havant dominated championship race after losing to Portsmouth and BAT Sports, last year's winners.
But they successfully chased Bashley's 242-6 declared, with Radford and the aggressive Dean Woodhouse (47 not out) sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 90 to get Andover home with five overs to spare.
The unluckiest player on the field was Bashley's former Wimborne batsman Richard Knowles, who struck a maiden 113 not out ... only to finish on the losing side.
Knowles, with a plethora of boundaries, salvaged the Bashley innings which had fallen into disrepair at 123-6. But his undefeated century, coupled with a fine 55 not out from Stuart Waite, doubled the Bashley total to 242-6 from 64 overs.
Andover went about their business in a rush with the Miller brothers, Roger (51) and Mark (30) putting on 92 in quick time.
Bashley's untidy out-cricket aided Andover's run chase before Radford, who fractured his wrist in a Hampshire Board match in mid-May, and Woodhouse, with a heavily on-sided 47 not out, came together with the match-winning partnership.
Burridge and Liphook & Ripsley, the two clubs likely to be fighting for their ECB Premier League futures at the end of the season, were both involved in drawn matches.
Burridge, with their last pair at the crease, hung on to stave off defeat against South Wilts, while Liphook sent most of Southsea seafront to sleep as they forced a bore draw with Portsmouth.
Paul Draper was the star of South Wilts' draw at Burridge, whose last pair Tony Paul and Paul Belverstone played out time to deny the Salisbury club victory.
Draper hit a splendid 86 and later took 5-41 as South Wilts totally dominated from start to finish.
South Wilts' formidable 275-6 was built around a century second-wicket partnership between Draper (86) and Burridge old boy Tom Caines (68) who prospered before and immediately after lunch.
Rob Wade (40 not out) took South Wilts on to an unassailable position.
Hampshire Under-19 hopeful Ben Thane (55) kept Burridge afloat after South African left-armer Shaun Adam (3-74) had got amongst the hosts top order.
But it was the nagging left-arm of Draper (5-41) that almost bowled South Wilts to victory - the ex-Calmore man demolishing the Burridge middle and lower-order, with Paul Ancell (31) proving the only real obstacle.
But Paul, the London Irish rugby prospect, and Meridian television presenter Paul Belverstone kept South Wilts at bay as Burridge forced a draw at 173-9.
Liphook scraped together a meagre 121-6 off 58 overs after Portsmouth had posted a tidy 205 all out.
Geoff Pike (35) and James Moon (32) gave Portsmouth a 66-run start, which Lee Savident (34) and Michael Barnes (21) subsequently improved.
The lower-order all chipped in, with Naqeeb Ali Mohamed (26 not out) helping Andy Pitts, Doug Bellchamber and Pete Hayward lift Portsmouth from 155-7 to an eventual 205 all out.
Spinner Alan Crawford (5-40) did the damage for Liphook, whose prospects of victory dipped immediately Savident (2-11) had both Steve Riley and Alistair Gray caught behind in quick succession.
Chris Wright (36) dug in before becoming one of three victims for Warren Swan, one of three spinner Raj Maru tried in an unsuccessful bid to force a result.
© SPCL / Daily Echo / Mike Vimpany