Gosport Borough’s Jacob Harris blasts third highest Southern Premier League score of 2022 – Purbrook fail to produce formbook-shredding result against Portsmouth & Southsea

Harris walked to the middle to face the fourth ball of the 23rd over with his side 81-3. By the end of Gosport’s 50-over allocation, he was still there - unbeaten on a career best 158.

Harris blazed 12 fours and eight sixes in his 99-ball innings, adding an unbroken 158 for the fourth wicket with Alex Adams (46 not out off 32 balls). Together, the pair belted 146 off the last 10 overs.

Harris raced past the 150 mark by taking 22 off the last over, setting a new seasonal Division 3 record for the highest individual innings - beating the 148 not out scored by Portsmouth & Southsea’s Matt Benfleld against Langley Manor.

Only two players have scored more than Harris in an SPL innings this year - Matt De Villiers (168, Hambledon) and Peter Rowe (162 not out, South Wilts).

His 158 was also the highest score recorded by a Gosport player in SPL action in the 21st century – beating the 151 not out compiled by Queenslander Scott Croker against St Cross in a Division 3 fixture in 2000.

Thanks to Harris’ boundary blitz, Gosport posted 325-5 (Lee Harrop 41, Viv Richards 41) at Stoneham Lane.

Muhammad Ali (3-33) and Sampath Prathapasinghe (3-52) were Borough’s leading wicket-takers as Trojans were bowled out for 237 (Syed Agha 47, Nigel Le Bas 46). Harris wasn’t finished yet, either - taking 2-17 off two overs after being the eighth bowler Gosport used.

There was no formbook shredding result when leaders Portsmouth & Southsea defeated rock bottom Purbrook.

P & S extended their winning start to nine games with a six-wicket success, while Purbrook were losing for the ninth game in a row and remain favourites to be relegated to the Hampshire League.

Purbrook skipper Brad Mengham elected to bat, but that decision backfired when the best bowling attack in the division rushed them out for 107.

Opener Josh Spiers and Jahanzeb Habib top scored with 19 - the latter’s innings occupying just eight balls.

Skipper Ben Saunders (3-36), Keiron Dunstan (2-4), Jono Willey (2-18) and Maxwell Goddard (2-25) were all again in the wickets.

Those four are among the nine leading wicket-takers in the fourth tier of the SPL - Saunders now having taken 18, Goddard 16, Willey 15 and Dunstan 14.

Jack Davies’ 49 ensured he remains at the top of the divisional runscorers list, with 457 at 91.40, as P & S won inside 24 overs to remain 36 points ahead of Langley Manor at the top.

Oliver Jones hit his eighth league century as Havant 2nds defeated their Basingstoke & North Hants counterparts.

Batting at No 5, Jones struck 100 not out off 101 balls as the hosts posted 279-6. He shared stands of 121 for the fourth wicket with Simon Loat (57) and 70 for the fifth with youngster Harrison Barnard (37).

Steven Matthews (35) and Andrew Galliers (24) had put on 65 at the top of the Havant order.

Skipper Peter Hayward (4-30) removed both Basingstoke openers with just eight on the board. No 8 Harry Smith (37 not out) was to top score as the visitors were bowled out for 190. Jones followed up his century with 2-19 off six overs.