Thanks to Graeme for this report from Ventnor Cricket Club. Ed
Ventnor, enjoying a fine start to their ECB Southern Electric Premier Division campaign, moved into second place in the table after a hard fought four wicket win at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Invited to bat first by Ventnor skipper Ian Hilsum, the struggling home team crashed to 56-5 in the face of impressive new ball spells from Adam Wilson and Mark Holmes who took three and two wickets respectively.
More difficult to dislodge was Bournemouth’s Australian opening batsman Alex Keath, who held the innings together in a fine, unbeaten knock of 116 which included six fours and five sixes. At the other end, Ollie Mills (2-30) and Travis Head (1-28) made further in-roads before Holmes (4-33) returned to mop up the tail as the Chapel Gate side were dismissed for 184.
The Islanders’ response began unpromisingly with Mills and James Cheek back in the pavilion with only eight runs on the board and when Head departed for a quick fire 30, a repair job was required. A half century partnership between Chris Ridley (20) and Hilsum (34) got the innings back on track but when their dismissals were quickly followed by Jamie Miller, a fourth win in five games looked a way off at 127-6. However, with 61 runs required from the final eleven overs, a splendid partnership between Neil Westhorpe (44 not out) and Hugh Calloway (22 not out) saw their side home without further loss with three overs remaining.
Ventnor will be looking to take their excellent limited overs form into the all day format which begins with Havant’s visit to Newclose on Saturday. The match starts at 11.30.
Captain’s knock sees Ventnor home
Ventnor’s second team got back to winning ways on Saturday with a narrow two wicket win against Shrewton in Hampshire League Division 1.
Barney Tyler took two early wickets for the Steephill side and although the visitors recovered to 90-3, the introduction of Kevin Cooper (2-30) and fit again Andy Whyte (3-33) saw the Wiltshire team slip to 171 all out from 42.4 overs.
The home team’s reply hit immediate trouble with Ben Woodhouse, Billy Clarke, Martin Blackman and George Hatt all dismissed inside the first ten overs. Mark Fletcher (32) and David Beven (34) batted sensibly to lead a recovery but at 124-6 hopes of a win rested with the lower order. As two more wickets fell cheaply, it was skipper Mark Whyte who took charge, cracking four boundaries in one over in a fine unbeaten innings of 50 from only 45 deliveries to see his side home in a tense finish.
The side travel to Midhurst on Saturday.
Heavy defeat for youthful third team
Northwood’s first team inflicted a heavy defeat on Ventnor’s third string in Saturday’s Island Webservices Cup tie at Park Road.
Replying to the home side’s massive total of 378-4, (Kerry Rice 71, Ashley Goldsmith 76 not out) the visitors were dismissed for 133, Josh Franklin hitting 27.
St Helens are the visitors to Steephill for Saturday’s Island League game.
Hambledon set for T20 visit
Ventnor play host to Hambledon in Sunday’s second round Southern Electric T20 Cup tie at Steephill. The match starts at 3pm.
Image: Britanglishman under CC BY 2.0
