Match report: League leaders Lymington CC (175) thrash Portsmouth CC (83) to extend Southern Premier Cricket League (SPCL) Premier Division lead
Lymington (175) extended their lead at the top of the league after recovering from a shaky start to secure a 92-run win over Portsmouth (83) at home on Saturday.
Lymington eventually overcame Portsmouth after an uncertain start, winning easily in the end, while sides below them lost ground, writes Lionel Colby.
Other aspects of the game were that in both innings, the tenth-wicket partnership was the highest.
Lymington captain Berg is the leading Premier Division wicket-taker with 21, averaging just 11.43, which is by far the highest for those taking more than five wickets.
Lymington lost the toss and put in, given the damp and cloudy conditions that favoured the bowlers.
Short of an opener to go with the in-form Terry Crabb, Josh Royan (0) was promoted up the order, but it was not a success.
Then, Crabb (15) unluckily played on, with Joe Kooner-Evans (3-54) dismissing the pair.
Wickets continued to fall, although keeper Robbie Hemmings (40) had a good knock, including a partnership of 34 with Ryan Scott (15) as batters continued to play themselves in but then get out.
By lunch, Lymington were 96-6 but with “much better intent and a game plan”, according to captain Berg.
By the later-order batsmen, the last four wickets put on 83 runs. This included Jude Tollerfield (11), Eddie Withington (11) and Layman (18) and then a last-wicket partnership of 38 as 16-year-old Bertie Adkins (27 not out) belied his number 11 batting position before Asad Abbas (15) ran himself out.
The top three batsmen in the Premier Division this season all play for Portsmouth, but they were blown away by the Lymington attack.
Ben Duggan (1), who had scored 136 the previous week, was out after facing just three balls as Withington (2-39) took a wicket in his first over for the sixth league game this season.
Mohammed Ashraful (8), the former Bangladesh national captain subsequently banned for match-fixing, soon followed, and then Harry Gadd (0), both out to Berg, had Portsmouth at 26-3.
Joseph Kooner-Evan (29), who usually bats at number seven, steadied the ship for a while before being bowled by Layman, but six wickets still fell for just 13 runs.
It was left to Stephen Warner (15 not out) and Rakshith Rao (15) to offer some resistance, putting on 30 for the last wicket.
At one stage, Layman had 4-5 in just four overs as he polished off the tail with Asad Abbas completing the innings with his first ball, and Lymington were home with 48 overs to spare and an early finish.
Lymington are at home to local rivals Bashley (Rydal), who led the league early in the season, on Saturday at 11am. Bashley will be keen to get one over their neighbours, Lymington, after losing to them on the opening day of the season.
