Match report: Stunning late Southern Premier Cricket League (SPCL) Premier Division turnaround by Basingstoke & North Hants CC (311) leaves Bashley (Rydal) CC (233) stunned
An unbeaten century by Basingstoke & North Hants’ George Metzger saw Bashley (Rydal) come out on the wrong side of a remarkable turnaround on Saturday.
Seven wickets down against high-flying Bashley (Rydal) (233), and with only 66 runs on the board, Basingstoke & North Hants (311) were facing a sixth defeat and the prospect of being bottom of the SPCL Premier Division at the halfway stage, writes Mike Vimpany.
“Honestly, I'm lost for words,” Bashley (Rydal) captain Porter confessed. “We thought it would be an early finish, and, unfortunately, I think we took our foot off the gas. Then they came out and got a bit of luck, but, in general, batted nicely and got a score which was always going to be too big.”
Basingstoke’s Metzger, with an SPCL career-best 125 not out, masterminded an astonishing turnaround by featuring in two lower-order century partnerships, which catapulted Basingstoke’s total to 311 all out.
Porter added: “It was a quality innings from George [Metzger], I have to say.
“There was very little application when we batted. It was very frustrating – something we need to address ahead of Saturday's visit to table toppers Lymington.”
Shell-shocked, Bashley sank to 49-5 before Porter’s 123 raised the visitors’ score to 233, giving Basingstoke an astonishing 78-run win.
The victory lifted Basingstoke, who have now made 300-plus scores in their last two matches, to eighth place, 14 points ahead of Bournemouth’s potentially season-defining visit to Basingstoke & North Hants’ May’s Bounty home on Saturday.
Bashley seamers Dan Goodey (3-59) and George Wilson (3-68) seemingly put their side in control, doing the pre-lunch damage to Basingstoke’s top-order, who were clearly vulnerable to the new ball.
However, maintaining his composure, Metzger watched as batting partners came and went before adding 117 with his eighth-wicket colleague, Matt Donaldson (64), leaving Basingstoke at a healthier 183-8.
Loughborough student Ali Brown was bowled for a fourth-ball duck before an even more remarkable stand, this time involving last man Abhijeet Saranath (54), took Basingstoke into dreamland.
The other Bashley wickets came from Cameron Basey (1-13), James Trodd (1-35), Jacob Stevenson (1-37), and Jacob Gordon (1-40).
While Metzger completed a 14-boundary century, Saranath (who seldom makes even double-figure scores) blazed three sixes and four fours in a best-ever 54, with the tenth wicket pair adding 127.
Worse was to follow for Bashley, who were among the pre-season title favourites. They buckled under pressure as Saranath (3-43) and Brad Neal (3-85) ran amok.
Captain Porter, who cleared the Bounty rope six times alongside hitting 13 fours, stopped the rot in a near-century stand with James Trodd (34). However, he primarily fought a lone battle as Bashley tried to fathom out what had gone wrong.
Jack Stearman (27) delivered the only other innings of note, with Dorset’s Will Tripcony (10) the only other Bashley man to break double figures.
Bashley (Rydal) will be keen to return to winning ways when they take on league leaders and local rivals Lymington away from home on Saturday at 11am.
