Div 2 (at Ropley) Old Basing 183, Ropley 189-7: ROPLEY recorded their second win in a row with a tense five run victory on Saturday.
After being invited to make first use of a tricky drying wicket, the Ropley openers put on 45 inside the first 12 overs before departing to consecutive balls, Marco Teixeira stumped for 20 and Stuart Currall caught for 21.
Tom Wood and Alistair Co
tton set about rebuilding the innings as Basing used four different spinners who all found the sharply turning wicket to their liking. The pair put on 107 before Cotton departed with six overs to go for a well struck 37.
The previous week's centurion Martin Peters (10) joined Wood to push the score along. Both fell attempting big shots. Wood's 62 contained nine fours and took just 64 balls. A couple more late wickets fell to run outs as the innings ended from the full 45 overs.
The Basing batsmen came up against controlled early bowling, before Mark Munday's left arm spin had the batsmen struggling with the turn & bounce. Richard Wilcock (35) was removed by Munday.
At 120-5 the game was in the balance, but Timms played a loose shot on 44 and was caught off Barry Newton (2-45). Greg and Matt Donaldson inched towards the target and six was needed from the last over with two wickets in hand. Greg smashed a Teixeira delivery straight down the throat of Tom Wood at long off, and from the very next ball the other Donaldson was caught behind.
Munday finished with 3-26 off 10 and Teixeira 3-41.
Reg 1N (at Winchester) Sutton Scotney 222-8 Midhurst II 158-6
LEACH LEWIS survived a couple of straightforward catches and cut loose against Midhurst seconds, plundering 90 from only 50 balls and hoisting the home side to 138-1 from 22 overs.
Green (3-45) and Pearce (3-55), aided by West's three stumpings, brought a middle order collapse, until Barton (39) took the total past 200.
In reply, Atkins (19) and Goodwin took Midhurst to 32 before Atkins departed to a leading edge.
A stand of 75 between Goodwin (37) and West (33) took Midhurst to a healthy 107-1 but off-spinner Williams (4-28) took a stunning return catch to dismiss Goodwin and then had West stumped.
After a rain break, Midhurst needed an improbable 90 from nine overs. Nathan Kemp (21*) took the visitors up to 158-6 with a fluent bat.
Friendly (at Elsted) Elsted 221-6
Midhurst 224-5
ACTING skipper Robert Norris, in the absence of Terry Wadey, won the toss and batted first. He and Russell Kyte gave Elstead a solid start and they put on 89 for the first wicket before Kyte was bowled for 23.
Norris appeared to be heading for another half century but was caught for 42.
Guy Masson and Steve Dudman gave the Elsted innings some momentum with Masson once again looking in fine form. This pair added 61 and Masson (67) reached a half century before being caught.
