VENTNOR HIT BY ACADEMY BLAST
A talented Hampshire Academy side including first teamers James Vince and Chris Wood inflicted a nine wicket defeat on Ventnor at the Rose Bowl’s Nursery Ground on Saturday.
It represented the Island side’s heaviest Southern Electric Premier Division loss and was compounded by injuries to Mark Fletcher and skipper Charlie Freeston.
The visitors batted first in the ‘all day’ encounter but hit early trouble after Fletcher retired hurt with a hand injury and Neil Westhorpe edged Jack Sheppard to wicket keeper Rouse.
Things got worse after Ian Hilsum and Adam Hose were each dismissed for 30 and when Mark Holmes and David Beven failed to trouble the scorers, the innings was in disarray on 124-7.
It was 16 year old Henry Bartlett and Freeston who ensured their side at least had a total to bowl out with a battling stand of 83 for the eighth wicket. Bartlett belied his lack of experience by cracking seven boundaries in a terrific knock of 59 while captain Freeston, hampered by a foot injury, cracked a 41 ball 38 as Ventnor reached 218-8 from 64 overs.
The efforts of the two all-rounders were all to no avail, however, as the Hampshire youngsters made short work of the target.
Vince, one of Hampshire’s brightest young talents and an England under 19 batsman, smashed two sixes and thirteen fours in a rapid fire innings of 80 and when he departed, Michael Bates and Friends Provident t20 man Chris Wood continued to dominate a depleted Ventnor attack. Bates finished with 65 while Wood thumped thirteen boundaries in his 68 as the home side passed the visitor’s total in less than 35overs to complete an emphatic win and move to second place in the table.
Ventnor will be looking for a much better performance on Saturday when they take on Bashley in the latest ‘time game’ at Newclose at 11.30. Freeston, Matt Compton and Andy Whyte are all battling to be fit while Hampshire’s t20 commitments mean Danny Briggs is unlikely to feature.
Image: TC7 under CC BY-ND 2.0
