Hampshire’s Joe Weatherley makes rare appearance as St Cross take another step towards Southern Premier League title

The Winchester-born batter made only his third outing for his hometown club since 2017 against rock bottom Hook & Newnham Basics - hitting 56 in table-topping St Cross’s five-wicket win.

That was a success which kept St Cross seven points clear of the Hampshire Academy with just two weeks of the 2022 Premier Division season remaining.

Weatherley has played five LV= Championship matches for Hampshire this year, with a fractured hand sustained in early May restricting his game time.

He was part of Hampshire’s Vitality Blast T20 Cup winning XI last month, though, and also has a Hundred contract – though has yet to appear for the Southern Braves in the current campaign.

Weatherley had also passed 50 on his previous St Cross outing, hitting 64 against Burridge last summer. Prior to that, he had scored nine against Basingstoke & North Hants in 2018.

Weatherley, who batted at No 4, was joined in the St Cross team by Hampshire colleague Felix Organ. But the latter, who opened, made just 27 before he was third out with the score on 52.

That presented St Cross with a potentially tricky situation, with Hook having posted 236-9 after electing to bat first.

But Weatherley and Charlie Gwynn (83) shared a fourth wicket stand of 128 as St Cross put their early worries behind them.

Gwynn has been a quality signing by St Cross. Recruited from third tier Fair Oak over the winter, the all-rounder has provided middle order runs - he had hit 84 against Lymington the previous week - and is the second highest wicket-taker in the top flight with 36.

Captain Ed Ellis (29 not out) took St Cross to their latest win, and a second SPL title in their history will be collected if they can beat Bournemouth and Bashley in their remaining games.

Gwynn had taken 3-23 as Hook posted 236-9, No 6 Sam Lockwood smacking 68 off 38 balls before he was run out.

Charlie Mumford continued his stunning form as Hampshire Academy remained firmly on the heels of St Cross.

He plundered his fourth century in as many weeks, a career best 153, as the Academy posted 318-6.

Mumford belted 19 fours and six sixes in his 102-ball knock, which followed on from his 131 against Bashley at the end of June. In recent weeks, he has also scored two hundreds for Hampshire U18s - 102 (v Essex) and 108 (v Kent) - as well as a 79 (v Surrey).

Jude Wright was another impressive Academy performer against Lymington - following up his 64 with 5-38 as the New Forest club were bowled out for 257 to lose by 61 runs.

The Academy’s final two games are against the bottom two sides, Totton & Eling and Hook.

South Wilts are the third team who can win the title if the top two slip up in the last fortnight.

They had two centurions in a victory over second-bottom Totton & Eling.

One was Tom Morton, whose 124 was his fourth Premier century of the season. With 993 runs, he is now within sniffing distance of becoming the first top flight batter since Neal Parlane 19 years ago to register four figures in a season.

The second was skipper Ben Draper, whose unbeaten 102 - off just 66 balls - was his second league ton of 2022, after an unbeaten 105 against Havant.

Thanks to those efforts, South Wilts posted 309-7 at Lower Bemerton. A healthy score, for sure, but one lowly T & E attacked with relish.

Opener Bothwell Chapungu hit 84 off 65 balls and Brighton Mugochi added 54 off 37 deliveries batting at No 6.

T & E needed 27 off the final three overs, but fine death bowling from Josh Croom and Arthur Godsall restricted them to just 11.

South Wilts face Havant and Burridge in their final two games.