Havant and Portsmouth openers shine in Southern Premier League’s T20 Cup wins

Pete Hopson and Chris Stone shone in holders Havant’s potential banana skin tie at second tier leaders Basingstoke & North Hants.

And Fraser Hay and Jack Marston did likewise as Portsmouth defeated Division 1 rivals Hook & Newnham Basics.

Stone struck 48 off 27 balls before he was first out in the 10th over after putting on exactly 100 with Hopson.

Hopson hit two sixes and a four in the next over off Alistair Brown, an over which cost 22 runs – the most expensive of the innings.

Hopson eventually fell for 73, having hit nine fours and three sixes in a 43-ball innings at May’s Bounty.

Captain Ben Walker, coming in at No 7, struck three fours and a six in an unbeaten 21 off 11 balls as Havant scored 27 off the last two overs to close on 184-7.

Skipper Ashley Neal (40) and opener Dubs Wood (33) helped the hosts to 103-3.

But Chris Morgan (3-23), Richard Hindley (2-21) and Pete Hayward (2-21) turned the screw as Basingstoke sagged to 127-8, eventually being all out for 146.

Havant’s hopes of a fourth successive T20 Cup win, therefore, are still very much alive.

Hay entered Portsmouth’s tie with Hook on the back of having smacked an unbeaten 163 in SPL action against Hambledon the previous day.

He followed that blistering innings – the club’s highest SPL individual score since May 2005 – with 69 off 47 balls.

The Australian shared an opening stand of 128 with Jack Marston that was only ended when the latter was run out for a 42-ball 56 off the last ball of the 13th over.

Daniel Wimble pressed the accelerator button, smacking four sixes in racing to 34 off just 18 balls.

But Wimble’s dismissal sparked a remarkable run of Portsmouth losing four wickets in six deliveries spread across two overs.

That resulted in the rare sight of three batters – Joe Smitherman, Sujeeth Daini and Carling Joy all recording golden ducks.

Nevertheless, a final total of 208-7 was a superb effort.

Joe Smitherman struck with the first ball of Hook’s reply, dismissing Harry Warner caught and bowled.

Matthew Buckingham hammered five sixes in a 42-ball 76 as the hosts reached 132-4.

Buckingham’s dismissal, though, sparked a collapse – Hook slipping to 143-7.

Joe Kooner-Evans (3-32) and Rakshith Rao (3-35) were among the wickets as the hosts were bowled out for 170 with one ball remaining.

Burridge, the last club to beat Havant in the T20 Cup – in 2019 – are through to the last eight after beating Fareham & Crofton.

The tie pitted the two Southon brothers against each other, with Ollie skippering Burridge and Angus playing for the visitors.

Angus claimed some family bragging rights by dismissing his brother as Burridge posted 187-5 after Ollie had won the toss.

Burridge’s total was built around 80 from South African Mathew Goles, who hit eight fours and three sixes in a 47-ball knock.

Joe Collings-Wells added 37 off 19 balls before Angus Southon removed his brother in the only over he bowled.

Former Fareham bowler Ben White delivered an early double blow when the visitors replied.

First, he tempted South African Craig Jeffery to edge his second ball behind to Nathan Schoultz. Then he had Angus Southon caught by Dan Stancliffe for a single as Fareham slipped to 21-2.

Sam Stoddart (46 off 28 balls) and Jeremy Bulled (21) put on 85 for the third wicket before both fell within a run of each other.

Morgan Frost hit 43 off 47 balls but Fareham were restricted to 141-6 to lose by 47 runs.