St Helens reunion for South Hants Touring Club CC ‘golden oldies’

South Hants Touring Club veterans. Back (from left): Derek Wootton, Barry Stares, Terry Lewis, Arthur Shaw, Paul Flynn. Front: Keith Maslen, Ian Preston-Jones, Nigel Pollinger.

So when seven long retired South Hants Touring Club players from the 1960s and70s met up at St Helen’s, Southsea, this week there were plenty of wonderful ‘do you remember?’ cricket stories to catch up on.

Left-hand opening batsman Ian Preston-Jones, now based in the New Forest and whose grandchildren play for Sway, captained South Hants TC for many years.

Keith Maslen scored over 4,500 Southern League runs, while Barry Stares and Derek Wootton were all top order second team batsmen.

Nigel Pollinger opened the bowling, Terry Lewis was one of the best wicketkeepers in the area, while all-rounder Arthur Shaw is now Portsmouth CC’s president.

Billy Eales and Seth Maxwell hauled Portsmouth out of early trouble and into the quarter-finals of the Hampshire CB Under-17 Kerry Cup at the expense of Sway at St Helens

A triple Sway blow in the opening overs had Portsmouth rocking at 15-3, but the pair rallied with a fourth wicket stand of 136 with Eales hitting an unbeaten 63 and Maxwell 62.

Portsmouth posted 169-7, with Noah Glass (3-17) and Alex Condon (2-17) taking the bowling credits.

Sway side were whisked out for 100 (Oscar Hudson 21), with William Lunn taking three wickets.

Bournemouth chased down Havant's 98 (Daniel Aitken 38) but lost seven wickets in doing so. An undefeated half-century by Robbie Hemmings (53) was decisive, while Axel Deem (4-12) and Conor Smith (3-12) took the earlier bowling honours.