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Division 3 - Fancied trio open with comfortable victories
Mike Vimpany (as published in Daily Echo) - 13 May 2002
Fancied threesome St Cross Symondians, Paultons and Purbrook are off to winning starts in Southern Electric Premier League Division 3.
St Cross crushed Gosport Borough by nine wickets, Paultons beat newly promoted Hartley Wintney by an eight-wicket margin and Purbrook cantered to a 123-run victory over Hook & Newnham Basics.
Having missed out on the runners-up slot last season and made a significant signing or two, St Cross are a popular choice to finish top.
And they didn't disappoint at Gosport, where Kiwi Mark Parker, with a near chanceless 84, and Ben Adams (44) shared an unbroken century partnership to ease past Borough's 170-7 (Stuart Charman 4-43).
"The Privett Park pitch was a road, but Paul Stringer, who missed a large chunk of last season through injury, came back and bowled superbly to take 1-15 off 12 overs," beamed St Cross skipper Matt Perry-Lewis.
"The conditions were probably better suited to bowling first and, generally speaking, the lads did a pretty useful job."
There wasn't much joy for the bowlers on Hartley Wintney's batsman-friendly strip, where the hosts 221-8 was easily passed by Paultons top three.
Martin Digweed (69), supported by Aussie Jimmy Castrisis (35) and latterly Colin Jolly (39), were the only HW batsmen to make a worthwhile contribution after Paul Wilde (3-40) had achieved two early breakthroughs.
Peter Lamb and one-time Wellow skipper John Robinson shared a brace of wickets before fit-again Paultons skipper Duncan Park announced his comeback with an undefeated 77.
It was Park's century-plus opening stand with left-hander Colin James (80) that set up Paultons' eight-wicket win.
Andy Collins (43) completed the formalities.
Ian Hunter, with a stylish 60, and former skipper Graham McCoy, who took 4-22, led Purbrook to a 123-run win at Hook & Newnham Basics, who could struggle in the absence of Steve Shaw and Jan Kaminski, two of last season's principal run getters.
When Hunter departed at 128-5, it appeared as though Purbrook might be pressed to post a decent total.
But Wayne Musselwhite (33) and McCoy (27), aided by skipper Andy Mengham's useful late runs, ensured Purbrook's 22-08 would be sufficient.
Keith Lovelock (43) stood alone as McCoy, Mark Stanley and Steve Brewer cut through the Basics card.
Alton found themselves amongst the early pacesetters last season, but whether they can maintain a positive start could hinge on the outcome of Satuday's tough visit to Paultons.
They were too strong for Bashley (Rydal) II, who were unable to make much headway against Andy Tapp and Matt Ireson, and found themselves unable to defend 171-8 (Steve Latimore 45).
A 126-run opening stand between Michael Heffernan (69) and Richie Morgan (53) effectively finished it off for Bashley.
Arguably the top opening day performance was Leckford's 37-run win over Havant II, who fancy their chances of getting amongst the promotion places come the end of the season.
Leckford gradually built themselves into a strong position through Mike Howard (52), Martyn Isherwood (38), Miles Bulpitt (31) and Mark Costen (25) to reach 216-7.
Skipper Matt Gover was all smiles after a 56-run start, but crying in his beer as Havant tumbled to 113-7 and eventually 179 all out, with little Ollie Jones (56) fighting a lone battle against Andy Cattle (3-23) and Chris White (3-23).
Steve Malone, the former Hampshire and Essex pace bowler, has taken up the white umpire's coat - he is keen to get on the First Class panel - and stood in Waterlooville's surprise 44-run win at Hursley Park.
New Australian skipper Chris Baumann (57) and Martin Shephard (41) set up the Ville's success with a 98-run start, which later dropped to a disappointing 187 all out.
When Roman Prendergast (47) and John Harris (29) responded with an 89-run platform for Park, the outlook appeared distinctly bleak for the Ville.
But policeman Andy Love (4-22) and Shephard (4-29) sent the Park wickets tumbling and the side to 143 all out.
Portsmouth II were left to reflect on the 61 extras - 38 of them wides - they conceded at The Holt, where Flamingo's got away to a 58-run winning start.
"Those extras made all the difference in the end," reflected Flamingo skipper Stuart Shapland, whose accurate bowlers erred on just two occasions with wides.
No one bowled better than left-arm seamer Adie Heath, who ripped out Portsmouth's top order with an SPL best 5-13 off 12 overs - all five of his victims being clean bowled.
Heath and two-wicket pair Nick McMurray and Shapland himself left Portsmouth in tatters at 121 all out, after Ian Hitchings (42) and Stu Brittan (33) had laid the foundation towards Flamingo's 179 (Rick Marston 3-16).
But it will be a surprise if any club manages to surpass Ventnor's unwanted feat of sending down 69 wide deliveries on their Premier League debut at Steephill.
New Milton were the benefactors of Ventnor's generosity - the Islanders conceding a staggering 98 extras in all : 69 wides, 18 leg byes, ten byes and a no-ball.
No wonder arm-weary umpires Mick Blackman and Brian Bennett looked shattered when they came off for a half-time cuppa !
Ventnor, of course, had to re-bowl those 70 deliveries, leaving New Milton 61.4 overs (instead of the normal 50) to amass 261, in which Steve Watts (57), Nick Gargaro (56) and Ryan Beck (33) top scored.
Departures have left Ventnor with only four of last season's all-conquering Hampshire League title winning side.
And it was no surprise when Andy Snellgrove (3-29), Matt Freeman (3-19) and Ben Neal (4-13) bowled the depleted Islanders out for 79 - 21 runs short of the extras total Ventnor had conceded in the afternoon session.
© SPCL / Daily Echo / Mike Vimpany
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