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SPCL 3 - Who will be top after top four meet?
Mike Vimpany (as published in Daily Echo) - 5 July 2002
Alton, Purbrook, Flamingo and St Cross Symondians went into today's ninth round of games occupying the top four slots in Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3.
But how will the top of the table look this evening - after the top four have played each other?
Unless the weather has taken an unkindly hand, it will have been a key day in the promotion race, with Alton's 11-point lead at the top coming under the closest scrutiny from second-placed Purbrook.
And Flamingo's five-win surge into a highest-ever third place being monitored by St Cross, who began the day just behind them.
Alton followed up a key victory at St Cross by trimming Leckford by five wickets - Richie Morgan (84) and Julian Ballinger's unbeaten 44 taking the Jubilee boys to a winning 206-5.
Purbrook flexed their muscle for today's visit to Alton with a crushing eight-wicket win against Hartley Wintney, who had posted a more than useful 262-8 through Dave Almond (84), Jimmy Castrisos (73) and Matt Digweed (62).
But Hartley Wintney, runners-up to Hampshire League champions Ventnor last season, don't possess anywhere near as formidable a bowling line-up.
And how Purbrook, Will Prozesky in particular, cashed in on the compact little village green - the South African smashing a quite amazing century off just 69 balls.
"He hit only two singles in his hundred. The rest came in fours and sixes - mainly 6's, 12 of them, in fact," said Purbrook skippr Andy Mengham.
Prozesky, from Pretoria, ended up with 153 not out as Purbrook charged in with 15 overs to spare. To complete a pretty good afternoon's work, he earlier took 4-54 !
Flamingo's 233-6 - back-to-form Stu Shapland hit 52 not out - proved too many for Waterlooville, who nose-dived into terrible early trouble against Nick McMurray (5-43).
David Howe (86) and Paul Russell (52) refloated the ship, but the Ville finished well adrift at 200-9.
Australian Leigh Burns hit 90 and Ian Turner a valiant 60, but Hambledon's 248-5 was overhauled by five wickets by St Cross Symondians, for whom young Marc Rees hit 59.
Hursley Park's climb uptable continued with a comfortable win over Bashley (Rydal) II, who closed 65 runs short of the Park's 243-7.
Paultons are gradually emerging from a poor start and got the better of New Milton by a five-wicket margin.
Steve Watts carried his bat for 85 for New Milton (225-6), but Tony Richman (51), Colin James (49) and Duncan Park (35) did the business for Paultons.
Teenager Craig Stares nudged the Hampshire YCs selectors with a tidy half-century which eased Gosport Borough to an eight-wicket win at Havant (115).
Portsmouth moved into sixth place with a seven-wicket win at Hook & Newnham Basics, who remain fastened to the basement.
Dean Oliffe (77) and Tim Joy (73 not out) guided Portsmouth past Basics' 178 all out.
Life doesn't get any easier for Redlynch & Hale, who got 272-5 at Ventnor ... but still lost by six wickets !
Iain Souter's unbeaten 107, aided by a half-century from Steve Fox (59), got Hale's best score for a year or two, but Ventnor's Jeff Hose turned back the clock many a year to thump a key 91 for the Islanders.
Rumour has it that Jeff was so stiff that he could barely move for the next few days !
Partnering the Ventnor veteran was teenager Mark Mitchell, the `forgotten man' of the Hampshire Academy, who has been laid low with major back problems himself.
But the Island teenager, under doctor's orders not to bowl, showed he hadn't forgotten how to bat by scoring a splendid 60 in Ventnor's third SPL3 win.
© SPCL / Daily Echo / Mike Vimpany
| Tournaments | Southern Electric Premier League |
| Season | English Domestic Season |