Dan Wimble celebrates maiden league century as Portsmouth collect third straight Southern Premier League victory

The former Fareham & Crofton batter finished on 100 not out with the match-winning boundary in an eight-wicket Division 1 caning of New Milton.

In all, Wimble struck 16 fours and four sixes in an innings that lasted only 55 balls at St Helens.

Coming in at No 5 with the score 62-2 - opener Jack Marston had retired hurt on 22 - Wimble struck the third ball he faced from Joe Hall for a six.

Wimble proceeded to dominate an unbroken third wicket stand of 138 with skipper Ben Duggan, who ended on 57 not out as Portsmouth climbed into the top four.

Wimble hit two sixes and a four off George Watts in the 27th over, and in the next over - bowled by Ed Bartlet - he hit three fours in four balls to seal victory.

His previous highest league score had been 93 for Fareham against Burridge 2nds in a Hampshire League fixture two years ago.

Wimble’s only previous hundred - 103 for Fareham against Hook & Newnham Basics 2nds in a pre-season friendly - had arrived the same year.

He has now posted a Portsmouth SPL highest score twice in eight days - the previous weekend he hit 64 in the win against Rowledge.

New Milton - bottom of the second tier and losing for the fifth match in a row - had earlier been bowled out for 197.

Fraser Hay (3-39) reduced the visitors to 16-2 by removing opening pair Joseph Wooster (1)) and James Adams (2).

Ed Bartlett (83) and skipper Watts (31) added 85 for the fifth wicket, but the tail failed to wag - the last four wickets going down for the addition of just two runs.

Sarisbury are just two points behind Portsmouth in fifth place after beating Ventnor.

But they were given a few scares before reaching their 128 victory target for the loss of seven wickets.

Indeed, they were tottering on 91-7 when No 9 Jordan Wright strode to the crease to partner Rob Franklin.

Together, they added an unbroken 39 for the eighth wicket with Wright hitting three fours and a six in a 16-ball undefeated 23.

That was Sarisbury’s highest score of the innings, beating opener Ricky Rawlins by just one run.

Electing to bat first, Ventnor had been bowled out for 127.

Openers Tom Friend and Dineth Thimodya have both hit large SPL centuries this season, but here both fell cheaply.

Kegan Holzmann accounted for Friend (8) while Thimodya was dismissed by Jaiden Richardson (2-25) - Jack Robson taking two catches.

Sam Hill (3-26) and Wright (2-19) also played their part in an impressive bowling display at Allotment Road.

Hambledon’s search for a first league win of 2023 goes on after being on the receiving end of a century from former Test player Richmond Mutambami.

The Zimbabwean struck 17 fours and five sixes in reaching 135 off 104 balls as leaders Andover powered their way to 299-8 at London Road.

Opener Harri Williams - who had scored just five runs in his previous three SPL knocks - added 74 in a third wicket stand of 157 with Mutambami.

Mutambami has easily adapted to life in the SPL - he scored 55 not out on debut against Sarisbury and has also hit 93 (v New Milton) and 85 (v Ventnor).

In reply Hambledon lost opener Henry Glanfield for a golden duck, trapped leg before.

Wicket-keeper Mark Butcher, promoted to No 3, top scored with 55. But the Dons only had 136 on the board when he was seventh man out.

Ollie Bembridge (30) and Dan Restall (27) added 48 for the eighth wicket as the visitors eventually reached 218.

Andover gave them a large helping hand - sending down 27 wides in a total of 40 extras.