Stead and buried! Gosport on receiving end of hat-trick as they start Southern Premier Cricket League season with heavy loss to Sway

David Steadman bagged three wickets in as many balls as Sway - promoted from the top flight of the Hampshire League last year - romped to a 127-run victory at Privett Park.

Replying to Sway’s 201-9 total, Gosport were already tottering on 31-3 when Steadman ran in to bowl the ninth over.

Tyrell Chicot - Gosport’s new St Lucian overseas player - promptly struck the first delivery, the second he had received in all, to the boundary.

He was caught off the very next ball, though, with Alex Adams then out for a golden duck.

That left Mark Toogood to face the hat-trick ball, which he didn’t survive as Steadman trapped him leg before. In the blink of an eye, Gosport were 35-6 and en route to defeat.

In all, Borough had lost five wickets for four runs: they had been 32-1 prior to Viv Richards (6) - Steadman’s first victim - and debutant Jubin Karippai (4) falling in quick succession.

Steadman, who had opened the bowling, ended with 4-11 off his six-over spell, three of which were maidens.

Gosport lurched to 42-8 - having lost all eight wickets for 21 - before stand-in skipper Greg Kitchin (9 not out) and fellow tailender Sampath Prathapasinghe (8) added 32 for the ninth wicket.

With Dale Paternotte absent, Gosport’s innings ended when Prathapasinghe was trapped leg before.

John Adams (20) was the only Borough batsman in double figures, with extras (17) next highest.

Earlier, both Sway openers had been dismissed for ducks - Chicot (2-46) and Prathapasinghe (2-28) grabbing a wicket apiece.

Chicot struggled for control at times, sending down 12 of the 28 wides Gosport conceded in a total of 37 extras. That was Sway’s second highest scorer, behind Will Crossley (44). Paternotte (3-43) was Gosport’s most successful wicket-taker.

*Jahanzeb Habib was agonisingly close to being Purbrook’s hero on his Southern Premier League debut for the club.

The former US Portsmouth bowler came in at No 9 with his new club 116-7 chasing Trojans’ 178 all out total in a Division 3 curtain-raiser.

Habib promptly added 46 for the eighth wicket with James Gurney (16), and there were only 19 runs needed when the latter departed.

Habib was to end undefeated on 40, off 34 balls with four fours and a six. But the two batters after him in the order - Hamid Khan and Tom Amis - failed to trouble the scorers as Purbrook were bowled out for 175 to lose by three runs.

Purbrook’s tormentor in chief was Rahul Bhome, who claimed the last two wickets to end with career best SPL figures of 5-30.

After openers George Hamson (0) and Sameen Mahboob (13) had fallen early, Brad Mengham (35) and skipper Sean Figgins (30) were Purbrook’s primary top order runscorers, before Habib ended up top scoring.

Habib had earlier taken 3-48 at second change as Trojans posted 178, the last three wickets falling for just a single. Khan - another former US Portsmouth seamer - bagged 3-31 at first change after Amis and Gurney had shared the new ball.

Syed Mahmood top scored for Trojans, falling just one short of a half-century - something no player on either side was able to achieve - after arriving at the crease with his side 69-3 in the 24th over. He was eventually ninth out in the 49th over.