Galliers hits highest score for four years as Havant keep pressure on top teams in Hampshire Cricket League

Andrew Galliers hit 72 as Havant 2nds defeated Portsmouth 2nds in Division 1 of the Hampshire League. Picture: Ian Hargreaves

Havant 1st XI skipper Chris Morgan has said promotion for the 2nds back into the Southern Premier League is among the club’s priorities for 2021.

A comfortable 87-run success against Portsmouth 2nds at Havant Park - a sixth win in seven completed matches - keeps them third behind Parley and Sway who are occupying the two promotion places.

Leaders Parley remain 100 per cent after six games of a weather-disrupted campaign, while Sway have managed to dodge the showers all season in racking up nine successive victories - the only club not to have had at least one match rained off.

Asked to bat first, Galliers and Stuart Ransley (10) put on 30 for the first wicket before Ollie Jones came in to share a 99-run stand for the second wicket.

Galliers was second out, on 129, after smacking seven fours and three sixes in making 72 off 79 balls - one of three victims for Lee Hungerford (3-37).

It was Galliers’ highest score since hitting 94 for the 2nds against Basingstoke 2nds in a SPL Division 3 game in June 2017.

Jones hit eight fours in reaching 62 off 92 deliveries before he was fifth out at 209.

Pete Hayward (31) provided late-innings momentum as Havant posted 225-6 off their 40 overs.

Ali Gardner instantly put Portsmouth on the back foot when they began their reply after tea.

The former Bedhampton Mariners seamer clean bowled both openers Nicky Wyatt (2) and James Mitchell (11) with only 17 on the board.

Change bowler Mark Martin (3-27) then ripped through the middle order, dismissing Arjun Patel (5), Ishafaque Ahmad (1) and Saf Musthaffa (2) as Portsmouth dipped to 54-5.

Steve Matthews (2-27) removed top scorer Indey Chakrabarti (37) before Gardener (4-19 off eight overs) returned to claim two more wickets as Portsmouth were all out for 138 to suffer a fifth loss in seven matches.

James Hughes struck his highest league score for Burridge 2nds - but it was in vain as his side lost by 24 runs to Alton 2nds.

The No 3 batsman arrived in the middle early after opener Sampath Prathapasinghe was dismissed for a third-ball duck with Burridge chasing 177 for victory.

Hughes was still there at the close, unbeaten on 72 off 117 balls as the visitors were bowled out for 152 in the 39th over.

Skipper Srujith Wickramasinghe (24) and Francis Moore (23) lent Hughes some support, but Burridge’s last six batsmen mustered just 13 between them.

Toby Salmon, who had dismissed both Prathapasinghe and opening partner Jack Slaughter (2), returned to take the last two wickets as well, ending with 4-30.

It was Burridge’s fourth loss in five completed games and left them just 0.4 of a point above the relegation zone.

While Sway have completed nine league games, Fareham & Crofton have only managed three. Their latest abandonment was a home match with Longparish, and they remain fourth having won two of the fixtures that have survived the wet weather.