SPCL Premier Division cricket: Lymington learn some lessons at the Hampshire Academy

Southern Premier League

Lymington CC 186

Hampshire Academy CC 187-7

LYMINGTON slipped to an opening day defeat against a youthful Hampshire Academy side at the Utilita Bowl in a limited-overs match.

In a tight game, the Lymington batters made the cardinal sin of not using up all the 50 overs following a batting collapse, with the last seven only contributing 28 runs.

Lymington, though, were still short of match practice, given the damp start to the season.

Losing the toss, Lymington were put into bat on a wicket that offered some help to the bowlers.

The innings got off to a great start as captain Ben Rogers (34) and Monam Abbas put on 80 runs for the first wicket before Rogers was bowled by Eddie Jack (1-26).

Abbas was in fine form with his knock of 71, which included 10 fours.

The side looked comfortable and moved on to 125-1, with Ryan Scott on 15 before the batting collapse started after Jeevon Chandhoke (3-28) got into his stride.

Kamran Dhariwal (29) held the middle-order together for a while, but wickets tumbled at the other end.

Spinner Zack Basey (4-15) was instrumental in getting late-order wickets, not helped by poor shot selection, leaving Josh Royan (12 not out) high and dry with 8.3 overs remaining.

Hampshire Academy, in reply, also got off to a good start, with Sam Ashman (41) and Finn Gordon (57) putting on 86 for the first wicket before Asad Abbas (2-31), in an excellent spell, removed both.

Joseph Eckland, now in Hampshire’s first-team squad, entered and held the rest of the innings together with a disciplined knock of 35.

Eckland was helped by Teddy Golding (32), with the pair adding 52 runs for the sixth wicket.

At least Lymington overseas player Liam Thompson (2-27) got some late wickets, including Eckland’s, but it was not enough as the Academy got home by three wickets with 11 balls to spare.

Gareth Berg (2-48) was the other wicket-taker, while Ryan Scott was responsible for the run out of Eddie Jack.

Lymington have a local derby against rivals Bashley at the Sports Ground on Saturday in their first home game of the season, starting at 12.30pm.