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Portsmouth sink Sarisbury to boost outside title chances
KEVIN RICKETTS Email Published: 14:57 Sunday 26 July 2018
Read more at: https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/cricket/premier-cricket-league/portsmouth-sink-sarisbury-to-boost-outside-title-chances-1-8583632
Portsmouth put another dent in Sarisbury Athletic’s Southern League division one title hopes with a 17-run win at The Hollow on Saturday. And with the win the in-form visitors boosted their own ambitions. Portsmouth’s eighth successive win lifted them up to third. Jack Marston felt his team did well on a difficult wicket. ‘It wasn’t easy batting with the ball keeping low at times,’ said the skipper. ‘We felt our score was a bit below par but knew if we bowled well we were still in with a chance. ‘At the start we kept it tight and restricted them to 13 for two after 10 overs. ‘Then they had a strong third-wicket partnership and it looked comfortable for them at 130 for three. ‘Like us earlier, though, they then fell away.’
After deciding to bat first, Jack Marston (51), Fraser Hay (39) and James Christian (30) helped them up to 193 all out. Josh Hill (three for 37) and Tom Kitcher (three for 56) were the pick of the Sarisbury attack.
Tom Nightingale (55) and Josh Hill (61) then looked set to steer the home side to victory. But once they departed the innings crumbled – with Reuben McArdle (four for 18) doing the damage. ‘In recent weeks the hot. dry conditions have favoured the spinners,’ said Jack Marston. ‘This is the first time for a while Reuben has had something to work with in the pitch. ‘It will be difficult for us to catch leaders Bournemouth but you just never know.’
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SMITHERMAN WEIGHS IN WITH MAIDEN TON
View From Silly Point by Jamie (Mitch) Mitchell
Did somebody say “Perfect July”?
Pompey 2s returned home last Saturday, to romp to a fifth consecutive win, against Hampshire League Div 2 strugglers, New Milton.
The tried-and-tested ‘win the flip and bat first’ modus operandi was deployed once again by Pompey’s potty-mouthed, people-pleasing captain, Nicky Wyatt. The home batsmen then feasted on the offerings served up by the New Milton bowling, in rattling up 297 for 9 from their 45 overs. Taking his seat as Pompey’s glutton-in-chief was Will Smitherman - who has returned home with more than an appetite for KFC - as he gorged his way to a decadent 115. Among Smitherman's dining companions was opener Jamie Mitchell, whose 47 came to a calamitous end – however, as comedy = tragedy + time, reporting of the detail surrounding the incident may have to wait until the end-of-(next)season presentation – along with 23 from Joe Kooner-Evans, after completing a lunchtime fitness test, overseen by his dad. Additional grazers at the buffet were Paul Hungerford (19), Sam Collins-Wells (17), Ethan Randall (14 not out), Tom Wallis (14), and Ishy Ahmad (13).
Another sumptuous banquet from Collette punctuated proceedings, and with it, brings a close to any more gastronomic metaphors.
Pompey’s bowling effort got off to a dream start, as Ishy Ahmad removed a visiting opener with the first ball of the innings, with Martin Balland-Collins and the omnipresent Smitherman combining to take the catch at first slip. Off-spinner Ethan Randall shared the new ball, and tore through New Milton’s top order, in taking 3 for 32 from his 9 overs - while Ahmad (1 for 35) can consider himself unlucky to not add to his wicket tally. The Hungerford brothers applied their left-arm tweakers in tandem to effectively end the game as a contest, with Paul (3 for 11 from 9 – including 5 maidens) comfortably out-bowling Lee (1 for 29 from 9 – with 3 maidens). Janitors of the mild-mannered (and double-barrelled) variety, Joe Kooner-Evans and Sam Collin-Wells, dusted off the tail with a wicket apiece, to bowl the visitors out for 136.
This Saturday finds Pompey’s finest climb aboard the Nicky Wyatt Fun Bus, to embark on an away trip beyond Hampshire’s borders, and into deepest Dorset, as they visit an equally-resurgent Bournemouth 2s.
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4th July
The 1st XI welcome Hook and Newnham to St Helen's (12:30 start)
The 2nd XI travel to Bournemouth II (1pm start)
The 3rd XI welcome Wickham to 3rds Ground - St Johns College, Farlington Playing Fields (1pm start)
5th July
U19's Welcome Shanklin U19's to St Helen's (4pm start)
The Clubhouse at St Helen's will be open
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