Cricket returns at New Milton CC as Greens outshine Golds
New Milton CC Golds 163 v New Milton Greens 164-4 (New Milton Greens win by five wickets)
NEW Milton CC reopened their gates as the firsts and seconds took to Fernhill in an inter-club 10-a-side friendly between the Gold team and Green team.
Luke Mortimore top-scored with 60 retired to see through a comfortable victory for the green team. New Milton III side also overcame Suttoners in a friendly on the second pitch.
On a fresh wicket, Green team captain E. Day questionably elected to bowl against a strong Gold batting line-up. T. Edwards and J. Adams headed out and got off to a decent start before Adams was caught off N. Gargaro for six.
Dangerous number three batsman C. Golding went cheaply, but R. Wilson steadied the ship with a flurry of boundaries alongside Edwards, who surpassed 50 with relative ease. However, two wickets in two overs from C. Tompkins reeled the Golds’ scorecard back in and the Greens started to get on top.
G. Watts and A. Mills both passed 20 but were unable to convert their good starts. The golds finished their innings 163 all out and N. Gargaro starred with ball with figures of 4-30 from seven overs.
In response, L. Mortimore and Tompkins got the greens off to a flying start. The opening pair put on a 71-run partnership before Adams bowled Tompkins for 14.
Adams removed Shrubsole for six to put the greens in trouble. However, L. Beck and Mortimore remained resolute to get the side within touching distance.
With Mortimore retiring on 60 and Beck departing for 25, Day, Davies and D. Loader all produced useful cameos to get the Greens past the required target with five wickets in hand.
On the bottom square, New Milton III produced an excellent performance with bat and ball to record a six-wicket victory over Suttoners.
After winning the first toss of the season, New Milton elected to field. Two early wickets from opening bowler J. Varney put New Milton in a prominent position as the visitors limped to 17-2.
However, with C. Dennett dropped early in his innings, the opening batsman proved to be a constant thorn in the hosts’ side. K. Locke, R. Thomas, D. Wooster and C. Varney all took a wicket each, and N. Dyer-Smith grabbed a couple to restrict Suttoners to 177.
In his first senior match, J. Varney was the pick of the bowlers as he took 3-27 in his eight overs, including the final wicket of C. Dennett, who batted exceptionally in his 112.
In response, opener J. Wooster fell in the second over for five as the hosts’ got off to a shaky start. It got worse for the green and gold as S. Storey and C. Varney fell cheaply, but young E. Wooster and captain K. Locke were on hand to put the home side back on track.
E. Wooster was caught for 20, but his successor and father D. Wooster formed an unbroken 81-run partnership with Locke to see New Milton home. D. Wooster put on 30 and Locke scored an impressive 89 as they surpassed their target with seven overs and six wickets to spare.
