The latest news from Ventnor Cricket Club.
VENTNOR THE CHAMPIONS IN DRAMATIC FINISH
Ventnor’s second team are the champions of Hampshire League Division 3.
Mark Woodhouse’s side continued their rapid progress through the league pyramid in fine style after a two wicket victory over Southampton Community clinched the title.
The clash at Steephill produced a tremendous finish with Adam Wilson winning the game for Ventnor after the fourth placed visitors had looked set to inflict a first defeat of the season.
Chasing a target of 192, Ventnor’s talented batting line up for once failed to function with only Martin Blackman (38) and Rob Snell (21) getting past 20 as the innings nosedived to 112-8. With the Southampton team close to springing a surprise, young Wilson had other ideas, hammering eleven fours in a splendid 55 ball knock of 64 not out. With teenager Scott Wheeler (14 not out) playing the supporting role, the pair added 81 in an unbroken partnership for the ninth wicket to clinch victory and the championship in an exciting climax.
Earlier in the day, Arthur Halsey (2-34), Rob Snell (3-31) and Darren Taylor (3-51) had helped dismiss the visitors for 191.
Ventnor will aim to make it sixteen wins from sixteen matches as they visit Basingstoke & North Hants in their final game.
VENTNOR GO FOR FINAL DAY WIN
Ventnor go into their final ECB Southern Electric Premier Division clash with Alton knowing a victory will guarantee survival. The Islanders currently hold a crucial seven point advantage over bottom side Lymington whose only realistic hope is to win at newly crowned champions Bournemouth and hope Charlie’s Freeston’s side lose at Newclose.
It has been a tough baptism for Ventnor who have won just two games all season in one of the best premier leagues in the south of England. However, with only one club relegated, the side will go into the match with Alton in a positive frame of mind knowing their fate is in their own hands.
Team from : Charlie Freeston, Mark Whyte, Neil Westhorpe, David Beven, Matt Compton, Sean Nowak, Ian Hilsum, Roger Miller, Adam Hose, Mark Holmes, Mark Fletcher, Rob Snell and Martin Blackman
THIRD TEAM MATCH ABANDONED AT COWES
Chasing a Ventnor total of 170, the home side had reached 80-1 before rain forced an abandonment of the final Harwoods League division 1 match of the season at Park Road
WEATHER WRECKS BIG DAY AT NEWCLOSE
The first ever visit by the Lashings World XI to Newclose was wrecked by the weather on Sunday. The players of Ventnor and Lashings, together with three hundred people in the Marquee and a couple of hundred or so hardy souls around the ground, were forced to watch the rain fall all afternoon before umpires Steve Malone and Mick Blackman called the game off without a ball being bowled.
At least the Marquee guests had Henry Blofeld, Richie Richardson, Darren Gough, Devon Malcolm, Ed Giddins, Ian Harvey, Phil deFreitas and comedian Scott Charlton to entertain them over several hours with a variety of amusing stories, anecdotes and reminiscences before giving the audience an opportunity to participate in a question and answer session.
The tremendous support of event Sponsor HTP was acknowledged and thanks were given to Mike Scott, General Manager at Newclose, and to the members and friends of Ventnor and Newclose for their joint efforts before and on the day.
Marquee compere Graham Benson thanked the Marquee guests for their generous contribution to the auction, ‘heads and tails’ and raffle which raised welcome funds to the coffers of both Newclose and Ventnor.
It was just a shame the miserable weather deprived the cricketing public of the chance to see another star studded Lashings side in action.
Image: TC7 under CC BY-ND 2.0
