Hampshire opener Felix Organ rewrites Southern Premier League record books with double century against Burridge

An ever present in Hampshire’s LV= County Championship title-chasing XI in 2022, the opener hit an unbeaten 222 for St Cross against Burridge.

It is the highest innings ever recorded in in the SPL top flight - beating the 196 scored by Tom Morton of South Wilts just a fortnight earlier!

Morton had surpassed Dom Ridley’s 184 score, which had stood as a Premier Division best since 2005.

Organ’s double ton is also the third highest recorded in the league in the 21st century.

He ended just two runs short of overtaking Will Prozesky’s 223 for Purbrook against Paultons, also recorded in 2005.

Organ, however, still ended 108 runs adrift of David Taylor’ stupendous 330 not out for Totton & Eling 2nds against Trojans in 2012.

Organ has been in fine form for Hampshire in first class cricket this season, compiling 595 Division 1 wins at 33.05 with two centuries - both against Gloucestershire - and two half-centuries.

Just two days before smashing Burridge’s attack, he had struck a crucial 72 in the second innings of Hampshire’s latest Championship win against Yorkshire at Scarborough.

Against Burridge, Organ smacked 21 fours and eight sixes off 179 balls as St Cross posted 325-9 off 61.5 overs. He scored an amazing 70.7 per cent of his side’s runs that came off the bat (there were only 11 extras).

Apart from Organ, only three other St Cross batters reached double figures - Joe Lewis (11) helping him put on 69 for the first wicket, Charlie Gwynn (36) taking part in a 76-run stand for the third wicket and Harry Foyle (22) sharing a 95-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Burridge had to bat out 59 overs in reply to avoid defeat, and they did just that.

St Cross might have been scenting victory when the seventh Burridge wicket fell on 179 off the third ball of the 48th over.

But Dan Stancliffe (36 not out) and No 9 Ollie Creal (15 not out) could not be shifted as the hosts closed on 211-7.

Gwynn took his seasonal league tally to 28 - only four bowlers in the top flight have taken more - with 3-38.

Azimunnoor Chowdhury (35) was the highest scorer among Burridge’s top five as his side slipped into second bottom spot due to Bournemouth’s shock success against table-topping South Wilts.

Burridge do hold a 20-point advantage over rock bottom Hook, though, with just one team going down and five weeks remaining of the season.

As for Organ, he has now leapt into fifth spot in the top flight runscorers list - despite only having visited the crease six times in 2022 for his 422 runs.

The list is headed by Morton (822) runs, with Jack Stearman (South Wilts, 566), Chris Stone (Havant, 561) and Harry Gadd (Havant, 461) occupying the next three spots.

It was Organ’s fourth SPL century, with his other three all coming during his time in the Hampshire Academy. Prior to facing Burridge, his best score was 125 against New Milton five years ago.

Top 10 Southern Premier League innings (2000-2022)

330* - David Taylor, Totton & Eling 2nds v Trojans, 2012

223 - Will Prozesky, Purbrook v Paultons, 2005

222* - Felix Organ, St Cross v Burridge, 2022

216* - Caine Barnes Hartley Wintney v South Wilts, 2004

214* - Will Prozesky, Purbrook v Leckford, 2004

213* - Brian Clemow Lymington, v Cove, 2001

200* - Charles Forward, OTs & Romsey v Sparsholt, 2002

196 - Tom Morton, South Wilts v Lymington, 2022

198* - Adam Bull, Hartley Wintney v Fareham & Crofton, 2008

190 - Sam Williams, Waterlooville v Totton & Eling 2nds, 2015