Match report: Lymington CC (253) suffer agonising one-run last-ball defeat to St Cross Symondians (254-8) in latest Southern Premier Cricket League (SPCL) Premier Division fixture
It was a tough loss for Lymington (253 all out), who suffered a one-run last-ball defeat to St Cross Symondians (254-8) on Saturday despite the best efforts of captain Gareth Berg leading from the front.
South African Berg took three wickets with the ball and followed it up with 97 with the bat, but his side fell agonisingly short, writes Lionel Colby.
St Cross were put into bat after Lymington won the toss.
Not wanted by Hampshire in its county championship game, 25-year-old Felix Organ soon found himself back in the pavilion, caught by Alvin Cameron off opening bowler Eddie Withington (2-43).
However, this marked the arrival of Dom Kelly (124 in 124 balls), also released by Hampshire. He put on 57 with Charlie Harden (21), but then ex-Lymington player Kamran Dhariwal (3) was out cheaply to Cameron.
Kelly was then joined by captain Charlie Gwynn (42) as the pair put on 95 for the fourth wicket, and then Kelly and Michael Haworth (24) put on 56 for the fifth wicket.
St.Cross held the initiative at that point, but five wickets fell for just 10 runs at the end of the innings, including Kelly, who was bowled by Withington and with Berg mopping up the tail (3-41).
The final total did not seem enough on a good batting wicket and fast outfield given the dry weather of recent weeks.
Lymington got off to a poor start, though, as Monam Abbas (4) was soon out to leg-spinner Callum Whillock (1-30). However, Ben Shoare (21) started to find some form and put on 47 for the second wicket with Robbie Hemmings (76) until an unfortunate run out.
Hemmings, though, was batting well in an innings that included 10 fours and one six. He was joined by Gareth Berg, whose aggressive knock included 70 runs in boundaries as he set about the St Cross bowling.
The pair put on 123 runs for the fourth wicket. However, wickets started to tumble as the St Cross spinners were bowling well, and once Berg was bowled by Ewan Neilson (2-52), it would always be difficult.
Yet it went to the last over with only five runs required from the last pair, Josh Royan (19) and Alvin Cameron (3 not out), but only three singles were taken with a run out on the last ball, much to the disappointment of Berg.
Charlie Gwynn (3-42) and Organ (2-48) were the other main wicket takers.
This coming Saturday, the side is at home to league leaders Burridge, who have just one point more, with Lymington joint second in the table, in a limited 50-over game with a 12.30pm start.
