Petersfield II v Hambledon III: HAMBLEDON elected to bowl first in overcast conditions with a threat of rain and a new ball likely to swing.

Hambledon got off to the perfect start with Chris Salmon (0) getting a ball which jumped off a length and ballooned back to the bowler C Berry (2-18) for a simple caught and bowled.

Skipper Chris Russell (69 not out) joined opener Dave Squires (15) in the middle, and the pair ground out a 46-run partnership on a difficult pitch before Squires cut to backward point and A Barfoot took a diving catch.

Chris Wood then scored a quickfire 14. Will Jameson (one) slammed a ball back at Wayne Norman (2-36) to be caught and bowled, and Ed Milford lasted three balls.

This left Petersfield 75-5 when Rich Stephens (35) joined Russell and the pair put on 62. Oscar Windebank and Omar Iqbal ran hard to support Russell and take the score to 158-7 off 42 overs.

Hambledon opener J Bridgeman backed away from a rising delivery from Windebank (2-22) to give a simple return catch.

Wood induced Phil Silvester into a lofted drive to be caught in the covers by Iqbal, who repeated the catch off Windebank to remove Justin Waldron (18) in the next over. Hambledon were 21-3.

A 60-run partnership between Ashley Barfoot (26) and Paul Brighton (33) threatened to derail Petersfield’s bid to win the game, but Russell (4-11) took both wickets.

Iqbal (2-10) took the next two wickets before Salmon took just six balls to finish the game off as Hambeldon fell from 81-3 to 102 all out.