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Champagne on ice for table toppers as rain ruins weekend
Mike Vimpany - 19 August 2001
BAT Sports, Portsmouth and Winchester KS can begin to put the celebratory champagne on ice as a wet Saturday gave their respective Southern Electric Premier League championship prospects a significant boost.
All three clubs, whose matches were abandoned after early afternoon rain, are within striking distance of claiming the divisional titles.
BAT, 17 points clear at the top of ECB Premier 1 with two matches remaining, had made 68-2 after 25 overs at second-placed Havant when the rains came down.
Portsmouth, with a 12-point advantage in Division 2, restricted their nearest rivals Cove to 173-9 at Grasmere Road before the rain set in.
But Winchester, whose key promotion clash with city neighbours St Cross Symondians was similarly washed out, still need eight points from this Saturday's awkward visit to Paultons to secure the Premier 3 crown.
Anything less could let in Rowledge, who will need a maximum 22-point haul against Bashley (Rydal) II next weekend, if they are to stand any chance of pipping WKS at the post.
Havant, with South Wilts and Bashley (Rydal) left to play, had to beat BAT in order to wipe out the Totton club's significant advantage.
They dismissed Dave Carson (35) and Richard Kenway after BAT had been put into bat - but heavy rain forced the players off after just over an hour's play.
"We probably had the edge when play was called off," said Havant skipper Paul Gover.
"Now all we can hope for is that BAT slip against either Andover or Calmore Sports, and we win both our games. But it's a tall order."
Allan Hurst (2-17) pronounced his comeback after a long-term shoulder injury with a brace of wickets for Calmore Sports, whose visit to Andover was abandoned with the London Road club at 121-4.
Mark Miller (35), Stuart Summers (28) and Roger Miller (21) made their mark for Andover, with left-arm spinner Mark Boston (2-16) taking the other two wickets.
Liphook & Ripsley, still not mathematically certain of avoiding the drop, reached 120-5 against Burridge, for whom Gosport bound Paul Jenkins took 3-32.
Basement club Hungerford, who visit Liphook on Saturday, had made 85-2 against Bashley when play stopped.
Left-hander Neil Randall, who has been producing some useful performances for Hampshire 2nd XI recently, scored an undefeated century for Cove against title chasing Portsmouth.
Randall, whose 100 not out included ten fours, held Cove together after some accurate bowling by Lee Savident (2-30) and Raj Maru (2-36) had reduced the prospective Thames Valley Leaguers to 76-6.
Peter Hayward (3-38) whipped through the tail as Cove slipped to 173-9.
But there was no time for Portsmouth to start their reply as rain washed out play at tea.
Trojans skipper Simon Williams cracked a league-best 118 as the Old Basing attack came under fire once again.
Williams, with a six and 18 fours in his century, shared a century opening partnership with Mario Mohammed (49) as Trojans notched 234-5 in 42 overs before the rains came down.
The only two matches to be completed in the Premier League were at Bashley, where Joe Hall's unbeaten 103 set up an eight-wicket win over Havant II - and ensured Division 3 safety for the New Forest club.
Bob Paul (4-45) and Neil Sexton (4-65) shared the spoils as Havant were restricted to 195-9 - a total Hall and evergreen Iain Britton(54) saw off with three balls of a reduced 33-over match left.
Hursley Park notched their sixth winin seven matches, trimming New Milton by 12 runs in a rain-reduced encounter.
Rory Miller (28) top scored in Hursley's 142-7 (Lee Beck 3-39), which was reduced to 131 off 34 overs.
Ross Cambray's spell of 4-42 left New Milton 119 all out.
All the other Premier 3 matches were abandoned.
© Mike Vimpany / SPCL / Daily Echo
| Teams | England. |
| Players/Umpires | Richard Kenway, Roger Miller, Lee Savident, Rajesh Maru. |
| Tournaments | Southern Premier League |
| Season | English Domestic Season |