BAT crush Calmore to move close to title

Mike Vimpany (Daily Echo)

August 10, 2003

BAT Sports are within 37 points of regaining the ECB Southern Electric Premier League championship crown from Havant.

A thumping eight-wicket win over seemingly-doomed Calmore Sports has left them 29 points clear of second-placed Bournemouth with three games to go.

An undefeated 117 by Neal Parlane - the New Zealander's third century of the season - powered BAT to victory after plucky Calmore had posted 199-7 in 50 overs.

It brought the Kiwi's aggregate for the season to 884 and left him needing 132 from BAT's remaining three games against Havant, Liphook & Ripsley and South Wilts to beat Robin Smith's 20-year old 1,015-run record.

BAT must have thought Calmore were ripe for easy pickings after a three-wicket new ball burst by Chris Thomason (4-36) left the cellar-dwellers rocking at 52-4.

But Hampshire hopeful James Hibberd hit back for Calmore, striking a stunning 111 not out as the basement boys reached 199-7.

BAT lost Damian Shirazi (16) and Richard Kenway (26) on the way to overhauling the Calmore total.

But no one could stop Parlane, who celebrated a relatively subdued 25th birthday with a blistering 117 not out.

Havant, whose visit to Southern Gardens on Saturday will give BAT their hardest test of the run-in, trimmed Liphook & Ripsley by 64 runs.

The defending champions were always comfortable after Andy Perry (58), Steve Snell (47) and Liphook old boy Chris Wright (44) had eased Havant to 196-4.

South African Ali Gray (4-41) got amongst the wickets as Havant reached 239 and then pilotd Liphook's reply to 120-2 before promising 13-year old left-arm spinner Chris Morgan (3-42) got amongst the middle-order.

The tiny West of England Schools all-rounder, who has been picked to tour the West Indies next Easter, helped send five wickets tumbling for just five runs.

The contest was over when Gray (77) was dismissed. Liphook made 175 all out.

South Wilts marked the unveiling of a Bemerton Honours Board in memory of their late chairman, Gordon Gay with a 27-run victory over Andover at Wilton Road.

Alex Senneck (51), Russell Rowe (42) and Jason Laney (34) scored the bulk of South Wilts' 233 before Andover teenager Luke Graham celebrated a personal best 5-33 towards the end of the innings.

Toby Radford (55) and Rob Atkins (51) fired Andover's reply which, at 113-2, looked promising.

But Paul Draper (4-31) nailed both batsmen and, in tanden with Tom Caines (3-27), reduced the visitors to 207 all out.

© SPCL / Mike Vimpany