Floyd blasts maiden Southern Premier League ton as Sarisbury win again – but inconsistent Portsmouth let New Milton off the hook

Sam Floyd continued his sparkling form by hammering a maiden Southern Premier League century as Sarisbury maintained their Division 1 promotion push.
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After scores of 83 (v New Milton) and 89 (v Sparsholt) in the previous fortnight, Floyd finally reached three figures against rock bottom Liphook & Ripsley.

He smacked 14 fours and two sixes in hitting 120 off 115 balls as Sarisbury powered their way to 283-9 at Allotment Road.

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It was his fifth hundred for the club, with three coming for the 2nds in Hampshire League games and the other in a friendly.

Sam Floyd hit his maiden Southern Premier League ton for Sarisbury against Liphook & Ripsley. Picture: Chris MoorhouseSam Floyd hit his maiden Southern Premier League ton for Sarisbury against Liphook & Ripsley. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Sam Floyd hit his maiden Southern Premier League ton for Sarisbury against Liphook & Ripsley. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

Floyd’s career best remains the 153 he blazed against Cadnam in May 2013 - one more than he scored against Burridge 2nds two years later.

Coming in at No 3 against Liphook, Floyd and Jack Lovatt - whose 56 was his highest score of 2022 - added 138 for the fourth wicket after skipper Josh Hill had elected to bat first.

Rob Franklin (3-45) and Australian Ronan DeGrussa (2-38) reduced Liphook to 124-7 (Suman Ganguly 47) before tailenders Joel Randell (45) and Oscar Amis (32) added 74 for the eighth wicket.

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That stand was eventually broken by the unlikely figure of Ricky Rawlins, who had Amis caught by Simon Orr in what was his first bowling spell since 2019.

Sam Hill (4-41) claimed the final two wickets as Liphook, losing for the eighth time in nine SPL outings, were dismissed for 219 off the third ball of the last over.

Sarisbury are now just eight points behind second-placed Calmore - the top two go up - following their third straight victory. They are only 11 adrift of leaders Rowledge, who could only manage a tie against second-bottom Sparsholt.

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Portsmouth’s inconsistent campaign continued with a 21-run defeat against New Milton, one of only three teams below them in the table.

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The visitors were allowed to post 230 at St Helens after being reduced to 95-4 and 167-7.

Ben Griffiths (50) and Lee Beck (49) top scored while tailenders Joe Hall (no 9, 34) and Ed Bartlett (No 10, 22) added crucial late order runs.

Joe Kooner-Evans bagged 3-44 while 1st XI debutant Charlie Collins - who plays for Portsmouth’s under-15s - bagged 2-30 off 10 overs.

In reply, skipper Ben Duggan (39) and Jack Marston (21) put on 60 for the first Portsmouth wicket before Hall (3-25) removed them both. He then dismissed overseas all-rounder Minhaj Jalill (10) as the hosts slipped to 82-3.

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Dan Wimble hit 53 - his highest score since leaving Hampshire Leaguers Fareham & Crofton to try his hand in the SPL - but Portsmouth were restricted to 209-8 (Kooner-Evans 26 not out) to suffer their fifth loss in nine matches.

Elsewhere, Sparsholt’s last-wicket pair hit nine off the last three balls to dramatically tie their fixture with table-topping Rowledge.

No 10 Josh Williams cracked a boundary off the fourth delivering off Ash-Lee Harvey’s final over before taking a single off the fifth. That left No 11 Ian Berrill on strike, and he proceeded to strike the four runs needed.

Rowledge, electing to bat, had totalled 232-5 thanks to Zac Le Roux (75) and under-19 all-rounder Ollie Ryman (71 not out) both making career best SPL scores.