25 all out! Clanfield humiliated as by Hampshire League Division 6 SE leaders Kerala on day of low scores

Seven of the 16 teams in action at the weekend were dismissed for less than 100, with only Southsea & Portsmouth 4ths and Purbrook 3rds managing to score 200 plus.

Clanfield were routed for just 25 by table-topping Kerala 3rds at Cowplain Recreation Ground with Jino Sebastian Gregory bagging 4-0 off 10 balls.

James MacGregor, batting at No 6, top scored with 15 - 75 per cent of the total runs off the bat as his 10 colleagues could only muster five between them. The remaining five runs were extras.

None of Clanfield’s top three managed a run - Vipin Francis (3-8) dismissing Dan Wheeler and Steve Perkins and opener John Windebank run out by Gregory. In all, six of the Clanfield batsmen registered ducks and No 10 Andy Wellen was 0 not out.

Kerala had also managed to find runs hard to come by - Sinoy Jose (29) the only man to score more than 13 as his side were bowled out for 105 (Adam Smith 2-5, Matt Bradley 2-5).

Kerala were able to stretch their lead at the top of the table as second-placed Portsmouth Community saw their 100 per cent run ended in another low-scoring encounter.

They dismissed Denmead for 98, only to be bowled out for 85 themselves and lose by 13 runs.

Community bowled first on a sluggish outfield with the damp ball causing some variable bounce.

Captain John Creamer led the way for Community with 3-17 with opening bowler Jack Whiteaway (3-30) - who dismissed the top three - providing good support. Jon Wilson (20) was top scorer.

In reply, Community - who had won their opening six completed matches of the season - crashed to 35-8.

Opening bowlers Joe Parkins (2-17) and Mark Scott (2-25) shared the first four wickets to fall before left arm spinner Gavin Reeves (4-29) removed Ben Wooton, Rob Cusack and Whiteaway for ducks.

A 50-run partnership between Si Smith (24 not out) and No 10 Adam Tigwell - whose 34 was easily the top innings in the game - offered hope.

But as the game became increasingly tense, Tigwell was caught by Matt Betteridge to give Reeves his fourth wicket and last man Jonty Coleman was stumped off the bowling of Betteridge for a duck.

Morgan Marshall batted throughout Hayling Island 2nds’ 40-over innings against Gosport Borough 3rds.

The opener/wicket-keeper struck just three fours and a six in finishing on 77 not out off 102 balls as Hayling posted 157-6.

Neil Wellington (19) helped Marshall, who was compiling a career best HL innings, add 50 for the third wicket.

Marshall was to score considerably more than the entire Borough team put together as they collapsed to 46 all out at Hayling Park.

Roland Barnard bagged career best HL figures - 8-5-4-4 - as the last eighth batsman in the visiting order mustered just 11 runs between them.

Opener Phil Royle was Gosport’s top run-getter with eight, while No 3 Beth Clarke made seven.

Anthony Watton was also economical, sending down eight overs and taking 3-12.

Gosport Borough 4ths fared slightly better with the bat in their fixture with Hayling 3rds at Privett Park - but still failed to reach three figures.

Replying to the visitors’ 156 all out total, Gosport progressed to 53-2. But captain Ryan Gander’s dismissal - bowled by Jason Longhurst (2-15) for 14 - was the catalyst for a collapse.

Gosport quickly nosedived to 68-7 and eventually dismissed for 90 - Jon Way (3-9), Steve Barber (2-18) and Joe Barber (3-32) among the wickets.

Hayling had struggled to piece a meaningful partnership together, with their highest being the 33 for the eighth wicket between Longhurst (39 not out) and No 10 Andy Longhorn (10).

It was Longhurst’s highest league score since an unbeaten 55 for Hayling 2nds against Bishop’s Waltham 3rds in June 2016.