Hambledon 1st XI CC suffer first loss of 2022 after failing to spring Southern Premier League T20 Cup shock at Lymington

Spencer Le-Clercq and his Hambledon 1st XI colleagues suffered their first defeat of the 2022 Southern Premier League season

Picture: Keith Woodland — Spencer Le-Clercq and his Hambledon 1st XI colleagues suffered their first defeat of the 2022 Southern Premier League season Picture: Keith Woodland

The Division 2 table-toppers travelled to Premier Division side Lymington and, though they put up a good fight, suffered a four-wicket defeat.

In the end the hosts got home with 11 balls to spare as all the batters played their part in the run chase helped by a fast outfield.

After Hambledon captain Spencer Le Clercq elected to bat, brothers James and George (24) Marshall got the innings off to a good start by putting on 77 for the first wicket in only nine overs.

James Marshall (73) continued to hold the Hambledon innings together until he was run out by skipper Josh Royan as the innings drew to a close. Le Clercq (19) helped him put on 36 for the fifth wicket before he was dismissed by Royan (2-35).

Harry Ottembrajt had th honour of becoming the first SPL bowler this year to dismiss Matt De Villiers for a single-figure score - the South African run machine dismissed for just nine.

Lymington got off to the perfect start as regular 1st XI openers Terry Crabb (31) and Ben Rogers (34) put on 66 for the first wicket in nine overs.

Crabb fell to Henry Glanfield (1-20) before spinner Jonty Oliver - the previous day’s six-hitting hero off the last ball of a game against Langley Manor - dismissed Rogers.

Momentum was maintained as Conor Moors crashed 24 in only 11 balls and Jovan Dhariwal 21 in 14 balls before he was run out by James Restell.

Liam McCurdy (18 in 8 balls) followed before he was trapped leg before by De Villiers (1-31) while Jake Smith (10 not out in just three balls) saw Lymington home alongside Royan (11 not out).

James Marshall had moved to the top of the Hampshire League Division 3 North run charts the previous day.

The opener struck 43 against IBM Hursley to take his seasonal league tally to 442 from nine innings at an average of 63.14.

He has leapt above Petersfield’s Henry Shore, who was out for a duck as Petersfield defeated Southampton Community - leaving his seasonal total on 430.

Curtis Dixon thumped three fours and four sixes in a 56-ball 58 and wicket-keeper David Mann struck 53 as Hambledon posted 267-9 (40 extras).

A 10th successive league win was achieved when IBM were bowled out for 191 (Mark Le-Clercq 3-37).

The Dons are now 38 points clear of second-placed IBM and on target for back-to-back promotions.

They have also won 21 of their last completed 22 league games, stretching back to the start of the 2021 campaign.