New Milton CC’s Thaakier Davids finished on 198 not out against Liphook & Ripsley CC in the side’s opening day Southern Premier Cricket League (SPCL) Division Two match
New Milton CC kicked off their Southern Premier Cricket League campaign emphatically with a dominant 146-run victory over Liphook & Ripsley at Fernhill.
It was the perfect start for New Milton (322-5) against Liphook & Ripsley (176-8) as they look forward to life in a new division after a challenging season last time out..
New Milton CC captain Ed Bartlett said: “Batting first, we piled on an imposing 322 for five from their 50 overs, thanks to a record-breaking innings from South African overseas star Thaakier Davids, who finished unbeaten on 198 not out.
“His extraordinary knock, laced with powerful strokeplay and remarkable consistency, set a new benchmark at the club and across the division.”
Davids narrowly fell short of what would have been a brilliant achievement, but he needed to hit his last ball for six to reach the double-century mark but could only find the boundary on the bounce.
He took his time to get to 100, but once the century celebrations came, the shackles came off, and he reached the next milestone in just 22 balls before finishing the knock with a 22-run over.
The top-scorer was well supported by Josh Parsons, who contributed a well-crafted 75, helping lay the foundation for our mammoth total.
Bartlett continued: “Viewing from the sidelines was nerve-racking at 11-2 after five overs, but once Davids and Parsons got in, it was a question of how far can we take it.
“I turned up at the start of the game with words from my groundsman saying it looks like a bowl first wicket, but upon seeing it myself, I was far more inclined to bat first; luckily, I lost the toss, and we were put into bat.
“I suppose the good thing about this was that the pressure of making the most of a toss decision was taken off us immediately.
“The ball really did move around quite a lot in the first few overs, so we had to dig in. But once we got past that, I felt it was one of the best wickets the New Milton groundstaff have produced in many years, firmly backed up by the umpire’s marks.”
In response, Liphook & Ripsley struggled to build momentum against our disciplined bowling attack.
Despite a spirited 53 not out from captain George Neave and a brisk 45 from Rob Nicklin, Liphook could only muster 176 for eight in their 50 overs.
The New Milton bowlers delivered with precision, led by Ed Denham, who claimed three for 19 in a superb 10-over spell, and Cam Golding, who, making his debut for New Milton in the league having moved to Fernhill with his Brother Teddy from Ferndown Wayfarers, provided great control and picked up two for 24 from his full quota.
“Having come into the match on the back of two warm-up wins,” said Bartlett. “We couldn’t have asked for a stronger start to the season. With our top-order firing and bowlers in fine rhythm, we will look to carry this momentum forward in the weeks ahead.
“We have two of our toughest games coming up in the next two weeks, with Calmore away and Andover at home, with both teams having been relegated from the division above last season.
