Match report: Four without a win for struggling Sway CC (102) as Southern Premier Cricket League (SPCL) Division Two leaders Langley Manor CC (105-3) extend advantage

Langley Manor secured the New Forest bragging rights and extended their lead at the league summit after a colossal seven-wicket win at home against local rivals Sway on Saturday.

League leaders Langley Manor (105-3) were ruthless with the ball in hand, almost restricting bottom-of-the-table Sway (102) to a double-digit score before reaching a winning target with minimal fuss.

The victory sees the hosts lead the league by an impressive four points, while Sway are now four games without a win.

Sway’s remarkable batting failures continued, dismissed this week for a meagre 102.

While second and third batsmen Matt Young (24) and Tom Richards (19) did their best to put something of note together, once they departed at 56-3, skipper David Steadman (20) was the only other Sway man to go beyond eight runs.

After Steadman fell, the final four wickets fell for 16 runs, leaving the Langley Manor batsmen with high hopes of catching 102 runs.

The pick of the Langley Manor bowlers was spinner Tom Spencer (4-30), while Jack Campbell’s (2-2) cameo performance was lethal, and with three smart slip catches, he was instrumental.

In contrast, skipper Connor Browne (48) dominated the Manor’s winning reply of 105-3 while batting comparatively simply, hitting seven stylish boundaries. Max Bignell (28 not out) joined in with six fours.

The spin of Sway’s long-time servant, Jon Waller (1-38), promoted back into the first team from the seconds, took the first wicket, that of William Budd (12), but by then, Langley were already over halfway to the target at 54-1.

Browne (48) and Bignell added 41 runs for the second wicket by the time Thomas Randell-Turner (1-22) took the skipper’s wicket, with Nick Doubell (1) following five runs later, caught by Waller off Danny Russell (1-10), to leave them five runs short.

Bignell and Jack Campbell (4 not out) wasted no time seeing their side across the line.

Sway had no better luck in their Sunday T20 at home to New Milton 154-9. The difference was a hearty middle-order knock of 34 by stalwart Lee Beck.

Sway are at home at Jubilee Fields on Saturday at 12.30pm when they host Fawley.