Deja vu! – Portsmouth CC skipper James Christian equals career best score for the club with another century against Basingstoke
The skipper struck an unbeaten 104 as Portsmouth after losing their opening three Division 1 games, claimed a 37-run victory over Basingstoke & North Hants at Mays Bounty.
Co-incidentally, his previous innings of 104 had ALSO been scored against Basingstoke - in another SPL second tier victory in June 2017.
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Hide AdBack then Christian - as he did on Saturday, opening the innings - hit 11 fours and two sixes in a 137-ball stay at the crease.
This time, he scored his runs more quickly but hit fewer boundaries - recording nine fours and a six in his 103-ball innings.
After choosing to bat on winning the toss, Christian’s third SPL career century - his best remains 156 for Havant 2nds against Alton 2nds in a Division 3 match in 2015 - helped the visitors post 239-5 off their 40 overs.
All the Portsmouth top order made a start but only No 5 Jack Marston (45 off 63 balls) hung around for too long, helping Christian add 101 for the fifth wicket.
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Hide AdHenry Woolf (2-37) picked up two early wickets in reply, clean bowling both Basingstoke openers Dan Belcher and Craig Williamson as the hosts nosedived to 5-2.
Basingstoke were in deep trouble on 49-5 but Joe Oates (56) and Dean Nurse (47) rescued them with a sixth wicket stand of 92.
That was ended when Jonathan Brook (2-35) clean bowled Nurse and Portsmouth were in command again when Oates was caught by Christian off the bowling of Reuben McArdle shortly after.
No 8 Matt Donaldson ensured Basingstoke didn’t go down without a fight, hitting a breezy 35 off 27 balls and adding 57 for the eighth wicket with Laurence Benge (16 not out).
But with Andrew Marston recording a miserly 2-23 off eight overs, the hosts were always behind the run rate and ended on 202-8.