Liphook & Ripsley v Basingstoke & North Hants II: LIPHOOK and Ripsley’s first team made an impressive start to their Southern Premier Cricket League Division 2 campaign with maximum points in a 95-run home victory against Basingstoke and North Hants’ second team.

Basingtoke won the toss and chose to insert Liphook on what looked a good batting wicket.

The home side set up their victory with a convincing batting performance, scoring 259-4 off their allotted 50 overs.

Chris Martin (34) and Rob Nicklin (55) put on 91 for the first wicket to get the innings off to a good start, and George Neave added a free-scoring 29. When Neave departed Liphook were on 160-4.

Suman Ganguly (68 not out) and Grant Rouse (52 not out) then added an increasingly devastating unbroken partnership of 99.

The pair took advantage of a generous supply of dropped catches, and an increasingly-wilting Basingstoke attack was blown away by an array of fine shots and quick running.

Basingstoke’s reply got off to a poor start and the visitors slumped to 20-4 after only eight overs, with skipper Charles Janczur claiming figures of 3-12 as he ripped through the top order.

Ganguly (1-23), Sean Burton (1-25) and Andy Barnes (1-33) each took a wicket and left-arm spinner Oscar Amis (2-49) grabbed two wickets on debut. Wicketkeeper Martin snapped up four catches behind the stumps.