Totton & Eling v Liphook & Ripsley: A NAIL-BITING finish saw Totton and Eling register a one-wicket Southern Premier League Division 2 win against Liphook and Ripsley at Southern Gardens on Saturday afternoon.

Put in to bat, the visitors soon lost wickets cheaply with only Rob Nicklin (25) making an impression.

A tidy Totton attack was led by slow left-armer Ethan Taylor (3-30), who bagged three of Liphook’s top four.

Liphook eventually managed to get their total up to a challenging 224-7 at the end of their allotted 50 overs, thanks to two much-needed partnerships.

Grant Rouse (36) and Jonny Pryce, who top scored with 50, put on 81 for the sixth wicket, while Andy Barnes (31 not out) and Sean Burton (29 not out) added an unbroken 51 for the eighth wicket. Dimitri Adams (2-42) and Terrence Wijesinghe (2-31) both took two wickets.

Totton also lost early wickets and were struggling at 56-4, but Adams steadily and patiently took control.

His 89 eventually featured 16 boundaries, and he dominated an 84-run sixth-wicket partnership with Kumodak Sharma (18).

The jitters crept in when Adams was caught by Sean Burton off the returning Chaz Janczur (3-30), with the hosts 39 adrift with only two wickets in hand.

George Neave then ran out Wijesinghe to leave Sam Beer (16 not out) and number 11 Kegan Holzman (two not out) to see Totton over the line in the 48th over. Liphook were left to rue conceding 40 extras.