Purbrook look as though they could be the team to beat in Southern Electric Premier League Division 3 this season

Mike Vimpany22-May-2002Purbrook look as though they could be the team to beat in Southern Electric Premier League Division 3 this season.Emphatic wins over Hook & Newnham Basics (by 123 runs) and Havant II, by an 88-run margin, have given Purbrook a flying start in their bid to improve on consecutive fifth-placed finishes.They lead the Division 3 field by a single point from Hambledon and Waterlooville who, along with Alton and New Milton, have also emerged unscathed from the opening fortnight.Purbrook’s latest win – over Havant – was effectively sealed after less than a hour’s play.”They had 95 runs on the board in less than ten overs, by which time I had already used four bowlers,” revealed Havant 2nd XI captain Matt Gover, whose side have made a disappointing start.”Their South African, Tokkie Prozesky, is a bit special and strikes the ball awfully hard.”When the pitches harden up and the ball really starts coming on to the bat, he’ll make some very big scores,” Gover predicted.Prozesky hit 64 of Purbrook’s 95-1 and then sat back and watched as Mike Hennessy (39), Ian Hunter (35), John Iles (33) and latterly Andy Mengham (34) swept Purbrook to an unassailable 274-9.Former United Services all-rounder Craig Williams (4-48) and Wayne Musselwhite (3-39) bowled Havant into submission at 188 all out (Jon Owen 37).While Purbrook celebrated, title favourites St Cross Symondians tried in vain to fathom out how they contrived to let slip a potentially winning position – and yet lose to Portsmouth II at St Helen’s, Southsea.St Cross appeared to have their sights on a second consecutive win as Mark Parker (56) and Marc Rees (36) eased them to 89-0 and later 110-1 in response to Portsmouth’s 195-9.”With 26 overs left and St Cross needing only 86 runs to win and nine wickets left, we envisaged only one outcome,” explained Portsmouth secretary Chris Moon.”They were batting beautifully, but when Dean Olliffe got both their openers they completely lost their grip and, in the end, were 14 runs short at 181-6.”Local university student Mark Clarke, with 38 and a key spell of 2-33, had a major input into Portsmouth’s improbable success, while Matt Scott’s 37 included one six which landed on to the bonnet of Raj Maru’s now dented car !Hambledon, relegated from Division 2 last season, dusted up Bashley (Rydal) II by 119 runs – Mark le Clerq (51), Ian Turner (49) and Simon James (46) making hay in a formidable 253 all out.Neil Sexton (5-56) and John Marsh (4-43) toiled for Bashley, whose batting disintegrated to 134 all out against the combined spin of John Barrett (4-49) and Ian Turner (3-15).Waterlooville followed up a 44-run win at Hursley Park with a 24-run success at newly promoted Hartley Wintney, who have lost both their openers.Chris Baumann, the Queenslander who has taken on to Ville captaincy, played a lead role in his side’s success, scoring 76 and later taking 3-20.The Aussie shared a century opening stand with evergreen Ian Farley (48) before allowing Martin Shephard (46) and Alan Over (38) to push the Ville to 229-3.When Steve Sayers, who finished with 91 not out, and Matt Digweed (39) were together at 158-4, Hartley Wintney were a distinct threat.But with three later batsmen failing to score and Stan Rudder (3-22) coming back to finish things off, last year’s Hampshire League runners-up were dismissed for 205.Alton were delighted to record a three-wicket win at Paultons, who appeared to have matters under control after checking a middle-order collapse and then having the visitors on the rack.Paultons drew first blood with in-form Colin James (48) and Duncan Park providing a promising 67-run start.But John Halfacre (3-55), Julian Ballinger (2-37) and latterly Matt Ireson (4-25) got to work, reducing Paultons to 125-8, before former Wellow & Plaitford skipper John Robinson (34 not out) came to the rescue.Ireson, who missed all of last season, bowled an immaculate spell, getting appreciable spin from a helpful Whitmoor Lane surface.West Indian recruit Randy Davis (2-36), bowling quick and sometimes wide, had Alton rocking at 15-3.At 73-5, an Alton victory appeared unlikely, but Bruce Oliphant (43) rallied but was out at 111-6, leaving teenager Mark Heffernan (34 not out) – the youngest of the Irish triumvirate – to assume the hero role.Grant Hibberd, who has arrived from South Perth with Peter Anderson to supervise affairs at New Milton, has told his young charges “not to get carried away” after back-to-back wins over Ventnor and Hook & Newnham Basics.”We’ve got a young, pretty talented side here at Ashley and it’s important they remain focussed,” he said.Skipper Steve Watts (43) showed the youngsters how to adapt on a helpful Ashley surface, steering Milton to 139 all out.With Anderson taking 5-16 and fledglings Matt Freeman (3-20) and Ben Neal (2-21) sharing the spoils at the opposite end, Basics – minus influential captain Keith Lovelock – nose-dived to 88 all out.Eight sides emerged from the second round of matches with a “won one, lost one” record, among them Hursley Park, who dismissed Ventnor for 128 and won by seven wickets.Raman Prendergast, with 4-34 and 32 in a key 71-run start with John Harris (26), had a major influence on the outcome, as did newly acquired Australian Jason Marr (30 not out), who had been looking for a club since arriving from the Victorian outback with Easton’s Francis Gill.Another Australian, Nathan Collins (4-44) removed Leckford’s top four to set up a nervy two-run win for Gosport Borough, whose 172-8 (Stewart Magee 43) remained under threat whilst Mike Howard(50) remained at the crease.Steve Fox (4-28) and 17-year old Matt Truckle (2-50) had Flamingo’s flapping at 80-7 at Redlynch & Hale until Adie Heath (45) – a man for any crisis – and Kevin Brewster (40) righted the ship.Heath, who celebrated a career-best 5-16 return with the ball against Portsmouth II the previous week, showed off his batting prowess this time, adding 65 for the eighth wicket.Iain Soutar’s gutsy 55 eased Redlynch to 97-1, but Father Ted look-a-like Dave Wright (5-23) carved significant inroads into the villagers’ order before a three-wicket victory was achieved.