Century-maker Benfield and hat-trick hero Willey star in Portsmouth & Southsea’s crushing cup win over Purbook

Benfield and Ollie Kanavan put on 216 for the second wicket as P & S rattled up 282-4 off their 40 overs.

Willey then dismissed three top order batsmen as Purbrook slumped to 31-4 en route to 80 all out and a thumping 202-run hammering.

Benfield belted 16 fours and two sixes in his 105-ball innings while Kanavan - in early following the dismissal of skipper Jack Davies - hit 64.

Benfield took 46 deliveries to reach his half-century, but only 83 to bring up his hundred.

It was the pair’s second three-figure stand of the delayed 2020 season, after they put on 112 for the first wicket in a friendly against Havant on July 18.

It was also Benfield’s second highest score for P & S after his 151 against New Milton 2nds four years ago.

Purbrook had already lost opener Martin Lee - caught behind by wicket-keeper Benfield off Jake Peach - when Willey ran in for his fourth over.

With the first delivery he clean bowled Josh Spiers, with his second he trapped Clark Harding leg before, and with his third he dismissed James Barber with another inswinging yorker.

That left Purbrook 34-4 and it got worse when skipper Josh McCoy had his stumps rearranged by Peach shortly after.

Remarkably, another P & S bowler was on a hat-trick towards the end of the Purbrook innings.

Medium pacer Chris Turrell dismissed Jordan Price and Frank Leslie in successive balls, clean bowling them both. But with anticipation of a second hat-trick in the same innings at fever pitch, Turrell then delivered a leg-side wide!

Willey (4-40 off 5.5 overs) wrapped up the win when he clean bowled James Gurney.

Turrell ended with 3-6 off six overs.

P & S are now top of the SPL Division 2 /3 East table.

Davies said: ‘I don’t think we’ve ever won a Southern Premier League game by over 200 runs before.

‘I also can’t remember any of our players ever taking a hat-trick before either.’

Davies had no hesitation in deciding to bat first after winning the toss.

‘That’s our plan now - to bat first. We’re not the best chasers - there’s less pressure on you when you bat first.

‘When we scored 280 that’s a daunting target for anyone to chase - they had to come out and play their shots.

‘Matt Benfield is a proper player and Ollie Kanavan never gives his wicket away cheaply.’

P & S have no SPL game next weekend. They were initially scheduled to play Basingstoke & North Hants but the latter withdrew from the tournament a week before it was due to start.

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P & S chairman Harry Yard’s four-wicket burst was unable to prevent the 2nds losing to Portsmouth-based Kerala by five wickets in a Hampshire District League game.

Yard took 4-40 off eight overs but Kerala passed their 222 victory target with five wickets in hand and more than six overs to spare.

Nimal Valsan struck an unbeaten 54 off 42 balls and skipper Dawn Ambi was 21 not out at the close.

Earlier, top order pair Presh Prasad (46) and Jubin Karippai (45) had got Kerala off to a good start before Yard dismissed them both.

P & S bowlers weren’t always accurate, though - sending down 33 wides.

Manny Ferreira (39), Mohit Patel (38) and Romit Patel (33) top scored for P & S with Ambi bagging 3-26 off his eight overs.