Hambledon v Fareham & Crofton: HAMBLEDON continued their good start to the season with an emphatic 130-run victory at home to Fareham and Crofton in Division 3 of the Southern Premier Cricket League on Saturday.

The home side’s innings got off to the worst possible start when Christopher Pratt fell for a duck, but Spencer Le Clercq (19) and Alexander Willoughby (80) got the innings back on track with a 66-run partnership for the second wicket.

A Willoughby and George Marshall then took the visitors’ bowling apart with a destructive 168-run partnership for the third wicket.

Marshall had another willing partner in Harry Thistlethwayte, and they added 85 runs together until Thistlethwayte fell for 29.

Lewis Le Clercq and Oliver Willougby fell cheaply, but Marshall scored a superb 154 not out off 122 balls as Hambledon finished on 362-6 at the end of their allotted 50 overs.

Fareham and Crofton opener Ben Kissane fell for a duck, but fellow opener James Heiniger helped himself to 103 not out in the away side’s reply.

The visitors lost wickets at regular intervals throughout their innings, though, and Daniel Wimble (22), Christopher Davy (35) and Ben Anscombe (12 not out) were the only other batsmen to make decent contributions as Fareham and Crofton finished on 232-8 at the end of their 50 overs.

Rhidian Chapman (1-13), Thistlethwayte (1-40), Luke Barber (3-47) and George Harding (2-59) were the Hambledon wicket takers.