Fareham & Crofton’s Southern Premier League promotion hopes take huge dent – Portsmouth boost in relegation fight

Fareham & Crofton’s hopes of promotion to the Southern Premier League took a hammer blow when they lost to table-topping Compton & Chandlers Ford.
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A four-wicket defeat has left F & C 27 points adrift of second-placed Parley - the top two go up - with just two weeks remaining of a sun-drenched Hampshire League County Division 1 campaign.

To finish in the top two, F & C need to win their last two games against Longparish and Odiham and hope Parley come a cropper against mid-table pair Easton & Martyr Worthy and Hythe 2nds.

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F & C will also probably need third-placed Old Basing to lose to champions-elect Compton on the final day, August 27.

Jeremy Bulled top scored for Fareham & Crofton in their Hampshire League loss to County Division 1 leaders Compton & Chandlers Ford

Picture: Keith WoodlandJeremy Bulled top scored for Fareham & Crofton in their Hampshire League loss to County Division 1 leaders Compton & Chandlers Ford

Picture: Keith Woodland
Jeremy Bulled top scored for Fareham & Crofton in their Hampshire League loss to County Division 1 leaders Compton & Chandlers Ford Picture: Keith Woodland

Electing to bat first, F & C were dismissed for 206 (Andy Gorty 4-39) with Jeremy Bulled - their leading runscorer this year - again top scoring with 53.

Opener Viraat Sahu hit 37 with extras (31) the third highest.

Ben White (3-55) helped bowl the visitors into a good position. But an unbroken seventh wicket stand between Jameel Khan (60 not out) and captain Alex Spearing (21 not out) gave Compton victory in the 42nd over.

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Portsmouth 2nds boosted their chances of avoiding relegation with an eight-wicket thrashing of their Alton counterparts at St Helens.

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Set 186 for victory, captain Indy Chakrabati and Richard Warner (41) put on 66 for the first wicket.

Joe Eales (48) helped add a further 87 for the second wicket before Carlin Joy (25 not out) and Chakrabati (49 not out) took Portsmouth home.

Ethan Randall’s 4-28 - his best league figures for six years - had helped bowl Alton out for 185

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Despite the win, Portsmouth remain in the three-team drop zone - but are now just four points adrift of fourth bottom St Cross 2nds.

Burridge 2nds held their nerve to beat rock bottom Tichborne Park by two wickets.

Opening bowler Stuart Downs (4-21) shone as Park were dismissed for 175 (Fraser Ward (53) after electing to bat.

Simon Creal (33) and Srujith Wickramasinghe (28) laid Burridge’s foundations with an opening stand of 61.

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Jack Slaughter added 31 in the middle order and there were also 33 extras.

Burridge slipped from 161-5 to 163-8 but sneaked home in the 43rd over to sentence their hosts to a 12th loss in 15 league games.