Hayling batsman Martin left agonisingly close to another century as Hampshire League promotion race goes down to the wire

Gary Martin was left agonisingly close to a Hampshire League century for the second time this season as Hayling Island’s promotion challenge was taken into the final day.
--
-

Martin was left unbeaten on 95 as Hayling caned Portsmouth & Southsea 2nds by seven wickets.

They enter their final County Division 3 South game against Calmore Sports 2nds this weekend knowing victory and a defeat for second-placed Fair Oak 2nds against mid-table Folland would see them promoted alongside champions Mudeford.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Portsmouth-based Kerala are also still in contention, and will go up if they beat Langley Manor 2nds and Oak and Hayling both lose their final matches.

Back in June Martin was left stranded on 99 not out playing against Folland.

This time he was five runs short of three figures when Hayling completed their 10th win in 13 completed games.

Martin - whose highest score is 174 for Hayling 3rds against Gosport 5ths in 2013 - struck 12 fours and two sixes in his 72-ball knock as the visitors reached their 201 target in the 37th over.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Greg Chaplin hit 48 off 43 balls before he was run out and Lijani Cherry was 24 not out.

Sayeed Shahid (59) and Krishnan Patel (35) had helped P & S total 200-8 (extras 32).

Daniel Holt, fresh from bagging 3-0 in a win against US Portsmouth the previous week, took 4-26 after being the sixth bowler used by Hayling.

Cherry (2-24) had dismissed both P & S openers, including skipper Steven Clements (2) who was out hit wicket.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

US Portsmouth moved out of the three-team relegation zone - just a week after falling into it - thanks to Abu Ashraf’s maiden HL century.

In a high-scoring encounter on the totally artificial surface at HMS Temeraire, the hosts were asked to chase Southampton Community’s 276 all out total.

With Ashraf smacking 12 fours and six sixes in an unbeaten 116, this was a target easily passed in the 32nd over.

Opening partner Syed Elahi hit six fours and three sixes in his 53 while No 3 Rafat Hossain (50) also brought up a half-century.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sarisbury Athletic 2nds remain in the relegation zone despite defeating Totton & Eling 2nds at Allotment Road.

But the margins are very fine down at the bottom end - Sarisbury’s average points per game total of 10.62 is only .32 of a point behind fourth-bottom US Portsmouth.

Sarisbury were rescued from a tricky situation by Matthew Reeves and wicket-keeper Kieran Whitt.

The pair came together with Athletic 45-4 chasing Totton’s 191-8 score.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They proceeded to share a superb fifth wicket stand of 126 before Reeves was dismissed for 72 - his highest ever league score.

Whitt ended unbeaten on 56 as Sarisbury won by four wickets with four balls remaining - and helped by 20 wides in a total of 30 extras.

Earlier, Fraser Moon (2-10), Reeves (2-25) and Chris Mottola (2-43) had been Athletic’s main wicket-takers.

Sarisbury’s final game is against a New Milton 2nds XI who have won four of their last five fixtures.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Fair Oak 2nds were given a scare by Locks Heath before emerging nine-run winners.

Chasing Oak’s 188-7 score, Locks pair Ian Stobbs (59) and captain Andrew Booth (45) were both going well.

But Alex Chessell (4-36) dismissed Booth to spark a mini collapse - the four Locks batsmen between Nos 6-9 inclusive mustering just eight runs between them.

Last wicket pair Ben Farrington (13 not out) and Andy Newland (10 not out) couldn’t be parted, but Locks fell narrowly short of a win, on 179-9, that would have seen Hayling jump into the promotion places.

Related topics: