South African Mathew Goles hammers sparkling century on Southern Premier League debut for Burridge at Ageas Bowl

Mathew Goles hit a sparkling 147 on his SPL debut for Burridge against the Hampshire Academy. Picture by Graeme Foulds.

The 27-year old Cape Town batsman peppered the boundary with four sixes and 18 fours, his 147 coming off 111 balls.

He was eventually dismissed with Burridge 202-1 and within touching distance of the Academy’s 222-9.

Goles, who played six times for Western Province in 2018, was Cape Town CC’s leading run scorer in the powerful WPCA Premier League this past winter.

He is Burridge’s overseas player this summer and joins English-born Nathan Schoultz and CTCC team-mates Hilio De Abreu at the SO31 club.

Goles totally dominated and had 82 runs flashing from the electronic scoreboard when spinner Louis Prichard (teenage son of former Essex captain Paul Prichard) trapped fellow opener Jack Paskins for 32 at 127-1.

Joe Collings-Wells, the Burridge skipper, completed the formalities with an unbeaten 33 after Goles had been caught (by Prichard) off the spin bowling of Tom Prest three runs short of his 150.

Burridge, reliant on some fine drying days this week to have their Botley Road ground fit for Alton’s scheduled visit on Saturday (12.30pm), sealed an eight-wicket win with 13 overs to spare.

With ‘prestige’ school fixtures clashing, Academy director Charlie Freeston had to juggle his resources, with England U19 all-rounders Dom Kelly and Eddie Jack and Wilf La Fontaine Jackson notable absentees.

The Academy were going nicely at 111-2 (Sam Ashman 30), but when Prest (43) picked out Paskins on the boundary, things took a distinct turn for the worst.

Five wickets fell for 18 runs, including Joseph Eckland run out for 31, as the Academy dropped to 129-7 (Will Donald 2-33).

Prichard (49) and Havant-raised gloveman Ben Feeney (21) rallied with an eye-catching stand of 71, but the eighth-wicket pair fell to Inayat Ullah (3-39) in quick succession.

Last pair Oli Cordery and Zach Basey did at least bat the 50 overs out, but with Goles in such blistering form the Academy’s 222-9 was simply blown away.

Elsewhere in the top flight, Havant suffered a surprise two-wicket home loss to newly-promoted Alton.

South African-born Kai Ziemkendorf, a University of Portsmouth student, made his debut for the hosts.

After being dismissed for a third-ball duck, he took 3-26 – Havant’s best bowling figures – but Alton passed their hosts’ 148 all out total in the 44th over.

Keeper George Metzer, batting at No 3, was Havant’s top scorer with 47 off 49 balls.

Another glovesman, Mark Heffernan, was Alton’s highest scorer too – with an unbeaten 37.