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Portsmouth and Lymington both slip to allow Cove to join title party
Mike Vimpany - 30 July 2001
Cove could return to their old Thames Valley League haunts next season with the Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 championship under their belts.
Relegated at the end of last season, the Farnborough club are suddenly in the thick of the title race, although their decision to quit the SPL in September means they will not be promoted back into the ECB accredited competition.
Surprise defeats for Portsmouth and Lymington - by Old Tauntonians & Romsey and Lymington, respectively - has thrown the Division 2 race wide open.
And Cove, with both their rivals still to play at Grasmere Road, could easily win it !
Portsmouth sank to a two-wicket defeat after a topsey-turvey affair at St Helen's, where Matt Scott's unbeaten 51 spared the team's blushes after Mukesh Morjaria (4-35) and latterly Stuart Tulk (4-19) had reduced the overnight leaders to 126-8.
Scott's undefeated half-century took Portsmouth to 174 all out - a total which appeared way out of OTs reach when the visitors reply dipped to 79-7 (Richard Rapley 32).
But Mike Trodd (40) and Australian Cameron Sterling, with a match-wining 45 not out, turned the match on its head and carried Old Tauntonians to an astonishing two-wicket win at 175-8.
A blistering half-century by West Indian Tim Subnaik, which included two huge sixes over the Stoneham Lane fir trees, swept Trojans to a five-wicket win over Lymington.
The New Forest club were quite satisfied after Brian Clemow (57) and Ben Craft (47) had posted 191 (Paul Douglas 5-39).
But Trojans, uncertain at 74-3 (Christian Pain 2-26), went into overdrive with Subnaik crashing 59 and Simon Williams (29 not out) and Jamie Donaldson (21 not out) taking the winning reply to 194-5.
Cove, meanwhile, enhanced Hambledon's relegation fears with a comfortable six-wicket win at Ridge Meadow.
In-form United Services notched a sixth win in seven matches, overhauling Sparsholt's 204 all out to win by six wickets.
Sparsholt's total was built around Rob Savage (60) and Carl Nichols (43), but US were always on course for victory once Mark Toogood (69) and John Geoghegan (47) had established themselves.
But still nothing goes right for Old Basing, whose relegation fate is virtually assured following a 12th successive defeat by Easton & Martyr Worthy.
Mark Stone (4-17), Steve Green (3-19) and Andy Birch (2-9) struck as Old Basing tumbled to 103 all out - a total Easton polished off, with Dave Birch hitting 57 not out.
© SEPL / Mike Vimpany / Daily Echo
| Teams | England. |
| Players/Umpires | Robert Savage. |
| Tournaments | Southern Premier League |
| Season | English Domestic Season |