Liphook & Ripsley III v Bentworth: LIPHOOK and Ripsley’s third team played their first home game of the season against Bentworth on Saturday.

Captain John Strong won the toss and put Bentworth into bat. Bentworth moved quickly to 86-3 after only 12 overs, and Liphook were facing an uphill task to stem the flow of runs.

Strong brought himself into the attack and immediately started to have an impact by bamboozling the Bentworth batsmen.

Although Liphook did well to reduce the run rate, the damage had been done, and, despite wickets falling on a regular basis, Bentworth reached a total of 185 by the time their last wicket fell in the 37th over.

Andrew Ceaser-Gordon, Jack Barrow and Nick Cansfield all took two wickets each, but it was Strong with four wickets from his eight overs who was the stand-out bowler for Liphook.

Guy Faithful was quickly back in the pavilion for Liphook, and Strong (14) and Mick Poore (seven) battled hard against some consistent bowling.

After Poore was stumped, Andy Grimes came in and provided some strength and determination.

Despite a brief cameo from Steve Wood, who was run out off the last ball of the game, no other Liphook batsmen were able to make an impact, and Grimes ended unbeaten on 68.

Liphook batted until the end of their allotted overs, but the consistency of the Bentworth bowling ultimately left them 30 runs short as they finished on 155-8.