SPL Division One cricket: Electric George Watts and Lee Beck fail to spark New Milton CC to life
SPL Division One
Sarisbury CC 240
New Milton CC 136
NEW Milton’s first team remain rooted to the foot of the SPL Division One table after slumping to their fourth defeat in as many games.
The hosts made a decent start to the game, reducing Sarisbury to 31-4, but a remarkably expensive five-wicket, which cost them 100 runs, turned the game on its head.
With 240 runs to catch a New Milton victory never looked likely, but a poor start left them with too much to do and they ultimately ended 104 runs off the mark.
New Milton skipper George Watts put the visitors in to bat first after winning the toss and the decision looked a good one after he made a blistering start with the ball, capturing both openers and reducing Sarisbury to 5-2.
Firstly, Watts (3-19) caught Jack Lovett (0) LBW before having Will Bolton (4) caught behind by wicketkeeper Toby Edwards.
Ed Bartlett (2-39) then got in on the act, capturing the wicket of Cameron Grierson (2) before Watts returned and had Jack Robson (0) out LBW for his second duck of the day.
However, this brought Jaidel Richardson (82) and Nathan Feltham (42) to the crease and the duo wasted no time in smashing the ball around the Fernhill Sports Ground, dragging their side out of the mire to 132-5 when Watts caught Feltham off a Joe Hall (1-52) delivery.
Richardson followed 11 runs later thanks to New Milton veteran Lee Beck (2-36), but an aggressive contribution from Jordan Wright, who scored 46 off 39 balls, and valuable knocks from Kegan Holzmann (22 not out) and Rob Franklin (20) left New Milton chasing 240.
With just six runs on the board New Milton were already in trouble after the dismissal of Ollie Nicholls (0), and when Ed Bartlett (4) followed 10 runs later the New Milton contingent knew it would take something special to turn the tide.
Experienced Beck dug in and carved a stubborn 37 runs out of the 66 balls he faced, while Edwards (24) and Watts (21) had to work just as hard for their scores.
However, Sarisbury made regular breakthroughs and New Milton finally succumbed 104 runs short after 34.2 overs.
New Milton are on their travels on Saturday when they face Portsmouth at 12.30pm.
