Lymington Cricket Club undone by Calmore's Johns century

Southern Premier/Division One West Division: Calmore Sports CC 207-8 v Lymington CC 98 (Calmore Sports CC win by 109 runs)

THE season finally got going for Lymington CC last weekend, but they could not match the opposition’s superior batting.

The firsts played Calmore Sports at Loperwood Park over the weekend. The youngsters were clearly eager to get going, and Lymington fielded seven teenagers plus a few older hands under the captaincy of Ed Freeman.

Twins Dan and Josh Bailey and Daniel Hart all made their debuts for the club with Charlie Inglis and Jude Tollerfield making their first-team debuts.

Winning the toss, Calmore Sports elected to bat on a beautiful sunny afternoon well-suited to cricket. Lymington picked up a couple of early wickets.

Opener Ben Johns, though, showed how to build an innings – starting slowly but then increasingly attacking the Lymington bowling finishing on 115 not out.

At one stage, Calmore were 167-3 and looking to get a commanding total, but then Lymington fought back, taking five wickets for 32 runs and Calmore finished on 207-8 in their 40 overs.

Fast bowlers Charlie Inglis (3-40) and Josh Royan (3-25) were the stars of the attack while Daniel Hart took 1-33 with Ryan Scott involved in a run-out.

The Lymington batsmen then paid for their lack of experience and inability to build on their innings and fell well short.

Batting at number three, Josh Royan impressed with 29 runs as he and Dan Bailey (12) added 38 runs for the third wicket with steady, and at times, attacking batting before Dan was out. Dom Hand chipped in with 10 runs, but wickets were falling steadily, and Lymington were all out for 98.

For the opposition, Yannick De Mezieres Lepervanche impressed with his fast bowling taking 4-31 while Ben Fisher and Ben Parry each took three wickets. Five of the first six batsmen were out to stunning catches that at least showed the intent of the Lymington top-order.

A disappointing end for Lymington, but more important is that league cricket has resumed.

Lymington host South Wilts Saturday at the Sports Ground with a 12.30pm start time. The clubhouse bar will also be open with all the appropriate safeguarding facilities. People are advised to bring chairs to sit around the boundary to observe social distancing.

A spokesperson for the club thanked the town council and club volunteers, especially Tony Thorp, for getting the ground facilities ready at such short notice.