Dons see chance slip away... Classy Rawlins

WILL BOND blamed dropped catches for Hambledon's five-wicket home defeat by Sparsholt in Southern League division two.
Ricky RawlinsRicky Rawlins
Ricky Rawlins

The home side got themselves into a winning position on a difficult wicket but failed to press on.

Hambledon posted 158 for seven, while Sparsholt replied with 162 for five after being reduced to 37 for five.

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Bond said: ‘Dropped catches early on in the Sparsholt innings cost us the game.

‘It was a strange game on a very difficult wicket to bat on.

‘The ball was doing all sorts up and down and also in the pace in which it was coming through.

‘Some balls raced through while at other times it would slow right up on you.

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‘Batting first we didn’t do too much wrong and managed to use all our 50 overs.’

George Marshall fired 27 runs, Bond added 19 and Indy Chakrabarti scored 17.

Owain Chapman added valuable late runs to enable the home side to get a second batting point.

‘We felt it was a defendable score considering the wicket and it certainly looked like that when we had them 37 for five,’ said Bond.

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‘Unfortunately, though, we put down a number of chances and that allowed them off the hook.’

Sarisbury Athletic slipped to an 83-run defeat at Hook & Newnham Basics in division one despite an excellent display by opening batsman Ricky Rawlins.

The superb innings of 119 lifted Sarisbury to 216 but they didn’t have enough support for him.

A contribution of 40 or 50 from a team-mate would have been vital.

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‘Ricky was a class act but we needed someone to stay with him,’ said Sarisbury captain Matt Journeaux.

‘We didn’t bowl well enough first up and allowed them to post a big score.

‘All the time Ricky was out there, though, Hook were worried.’

Journeaux took five wickets for 52 as he enjoyed a little personal success at the end of the Hook innings of 299 for eight.

He took four wickets in the final over.

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Portsmouth slumped to a surprise 28-run defeat against struggling Rowledge in division one.

The hosts took their first wicket before the visitors had a run on the board but Rowledge went on to reach 253 for nine off their 50 overs.

Fraser Hay was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts with five wickets for 61 runs.

Hay struck 83 runs with the bat and reached his 50 off 70 balls but it wasn’t enough to prevent Portsmouth’s defeat.