Waterlooville surrender their 100 Southern Premier League record

Harry Tulk fell just short of a boundary-filled century as Waterlooville surrendered their 100 per cent Southern Premier League record.
By Simon Carter
Published 2nd Aug 2023, 14:45 BST
Updated 2nd Aug 2023, 15:03 BST
Josh McCoy hit 72 as Waterlooville's 100 per cent SPL run was ended by fellow promotion hopefuls OTs & Romsey. Picture: Chris MoorhouseJosh McCoy hit 72 as Waterlooville's 100 per cent SPL run was ended by fellow promotion hopefuls OTs & Romsey. Picture: Chris Moorhouse
Josh McCoy hit 72 as Waterlooville's 100 per cent SPL run was ended by fellow promotion hopefuls OTs & Romsey. Picture: Chris Moorhouse

Ville entered their top-of-the-table Division 2 showdown with second-placed OTs & Romsey having won all eight of their completed fixtures so far.

The other four had been the victims of wet weather.

Ville suffered a 45-run loss at Rowlands Avenue but remain top - with a points average of 18.89 compared to OTs’ 17.82.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

More importantly, Ville are well ahead of third-placed Portsmouth & Southsea (13.5 average), with the top two winning promotion to the second tier.

P & S wasted their chance to gain ground on Ville when they were skittled for just 38 in losing by a mammoth 200 runs at Langley Manor.

After losing the toss and seeing his side inserted, OTs skipper Charlie King hit 53 off 127 balls with just three fours at the top of the order.

It was like to Tulk to press down hard on the accelerator, smacking six sixes and eight fours.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He had scorched to 96 off 56 balls when he was caught by Dom Carson off the bowling of Josh McGregor, the seventh Ville bowler used.

OTs posted 243-6 off 50 overs and then dismissed Ville opener Gabe Broadhurst (10) early on in the hosts’ reply.

Skipper Archie Reynolds (27) added 51 for the second wicket with Josh McCoy before he was run out.

McCoy went on to hit 72 but non-one else could hang around with him for a long period until he was seventh out with the score on 170.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ville ended on 198-5, their hopes of completing an entire league campaign on a winning note in tatters.

Those last two words can also be used to describe P & S’ reply against Langley Manor at Knellers Lane.

They were routed for 38, but only lost nine wickets - Jake Peach going down in the scorebook as ‘absent’.

The seamer bowled his quota of overs and fielded up to tea. He then experienced stomach problems and actually passed out at one point.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Replying to Langley’s 238-5 total off 50 overs, P&S openers Matt Benfield and Shaun Briggs took the score to 13-0.

That was as good as it got, with Benfield and No 3 Maxwell Goddard dismissed in successive balls by Tom Morgan.

Briggs and Chris Bollom were joint top scorers with nine - the latter not out - as a woeful innings lasted just 18 overs.

P&S had earlier conceded 34 wides as part of an extras total of 43.

With Ville losing, Division 3 leaders Sway now boast the only 100 per cent record left across the four-division SPL structure.

Related topics:Southern Premier LeagueDivision 2Waterlooville