Purbrook’s bid for the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 crown has been knocked off course by consecutive – and somewhat surprising – defeats by Bashley (Rydal) and Paultons

Mike Vimpany (as published in Daily Echo)30-Jun-2002Purbrook’s bid for the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 crown has been knocked off course by consecutive – and somewhat surprising – defeats by Bashley (Rydal) and Paultons.The unexpected double setback has cost Purbrook top spot, with Alton leapfrogging to the front after beating St Cross Symondians by 57 runs.A run of four successive wins has lifted Flamingo into third place, marginally ahead of St Cross, whom they visit next week.Paultons seem to have the Indian Sign over Purbrook, whom they beat in a run-laden 265-233 affair at The Heath last season.This time Paultons chased, with Ian Hunter’s 94 for Purbrook being rendered purely academic as Purbrook’s daunting 274-7 was overhauled by six wickets … with three overs to spare !Colin James (54), Andy Darnton (46), Duncan Park (36) and Andrew Collins (33) did the spadework before Tony Richman (34) and John Robinson (29) swept Paultons to a glorious victory.It was a much needed win for Paultons, who were languishing in the lower reaches of the table after winning only one of their previous five games."Ironically, we’ve been struggling to score runs all season – then we get 275 all in one go," smiled experienced Paultons all-rounder Steve Mitchell.Beaten by Flamingo and knocked out of the SEC Cup by Rowledge in the space of four days, Alton badly needed a positive performance against St Cross Symondians to get their season back on track.And how they achieved it, with Julian Ballinger’s side pulling out all the stops to notch an important 57-run win at the Royal Green Jackets ground.Michael Heffernan (82) and Bruce Oliphant, with a breezy pre-tea 51, swept Alton to 252-5.Mark Parker (56) steered St Cross to 106-1, but the Winchester side were never able to dictate the pace and finished well short at 196 all out, with Howard Gadsby (4-46) and Oliphant (3-22) taking a lion’s share of the wickets.Not content with upsetting the Purbrook bandwagon, Bashley II struck again – derailing New Milton’s climb towards the Premier 3 stardom.Bashley recovered from Andy Snellgrove’s spell of 4-29 – and an uncertain 42-4 – to post 156 through Graham Pardey (39) and Neil Sexton (33).They were on the back foot as Steve Watts (45) and Dean Miller (39) guided New Milton to 92-1, but a mass collapse, initiated by the crafty left-arm spin of Bob Paul (3-23), sent wickets tumbling and Milton to 144 all out."I think we caught that collapsing bug that seems to be doing the rounds at Bashley," quipped New Milton’s Steve Taylor.Creeping into third place, almost unnoticed, are Flamingo, who are casting serious doubts upon their chairman’s pre-season prediction of a probable summer-long struggle against relegation for the little Corhampton club."He puts it down to reverse physiology," said Flamingo skipper Stuart Shapland, after hitting an undefeated 83 to set up a fourth win in a row against Hambledon.Half-centuries by Mark le Clerq (62) and Matt Jones (55) took Hambledon to 219-6.Even though Flamingo’s suffered their customary top-order wobble, Shapland’s timely 83, coupled with a fine 56 from Tim Richman, made it a fairly comfortable run chase.Chris Westbrook (3-22) and Andy Marks (3-23) did the damage as fifth-placed Hursley Park bowled struggling Redlynch & Hale out for 101 to win by four wickets.Hursley lost five wickets to Matt Truckle’s spin after John Harris, who carried his bat for a patient 39, and Paul Edwards (34) had taken the visitors to 79-1.Havant II are climbing the log – big hitting left-hander Matt Ward cracking 90 in the six-wicket win over Waterlooville, whose 199-6 included Chris Baumann (55) and Dave Howe (49).Improving too are Gosport Borough, who heightened Hook & Newnham’s problems at the bottom, with Mike Rees (60) and departing Wyvern sports master Stewart Magee (53) setting up a comfortable six-wicket win.Leckford left-hander Martyn Isherwood is recognised as one of the classiest players in the Test Valley – and how well he batted in an elegant 106 against Hartley Wintney.Isherwood and Mark Tomlinson (60) put on a Leckford-best 164 before flying Scotsman Mike Howard punched a splendid 85 as the Bakers Farm boys rattled up 333-4.Tristan Gregory (57 not out) top scored for Hartley Wintney, but any prospect of the visitors making a match of it ended when Matt Digweed had to retire hurt. HW closed at 166-6, with Andy Cattle taking another three wickets to take his tally for the season to 18 victims.Neil Dodds (5-22) got among the Portsmouth batsmen, but was unable to prevent Ventnor (133) slipping to a four-wicket defeat at St Helen’s.Ventnor’s home match against Redlynch & Hale at Steephill this weekend could have a vital bearing on the situation at the foot of the table.