Saturday 2nd XI Vs Longparish II

Sparsholt's second team visited Longparish's respective second team on Saturday with a side mixed with experience and youth. New skipper Adam Gough lost the toss and Sparsholt were put into field. Tom Procter opened the bowling with some fine left arm swing bowling with Haidar Ali at the other end. Ali picked up a wicket with his 3rd ball and followed up with a wicket in his second over clean bowling both openers leaving Longparish at 5 for 2. Blackmore and Bearmark repaired the damage with a partnership of 66 before J Blackmore was bowled during a superb spell of bowling from Nayan Phagami.

Longparish moved the score up 140 with Bearmark moving to half century. Mark Stone bowled his typical economic spell of 10 overs 2 for 24 as did Andy Pryce. Joshua Williams picked up 2 quick wickets and Haidar Ali wrapped up the innings with a wicket and a run out with figures of 7 over 3 for 18 as the Longparish innings closed at 163 all out.

Sparsholt s reply started with veterans Andy Steggall and Andy Worth opening the batting. Worth fell early and Steggall dug in as Phagami (11) and Pryce fell leaving the score on 35 for 3. Skipper Gough batted solidly to take the score to 101 as Steggall reached his half century and was then bowled by Giles.

A quick-fire 7 from Herridge and Whiting run out without facing a ball caused a panic in the batting as Sparsholt slipped to 127 for 7 as Gough also fell for a well-made 28.

Young debutant Joshua Williams batted stoically seeing off the opening bowlers allowing Tom Procter to get himself in at the other end. With 4 overs and 3 wickets left Sparsholt required 31 runs. The tall left handed Procter then unleashed some powerful hitting with two sixes over deep mid-wicket and 4 plundering 17 off one over. Procter then hit another 4 and single before Williams and was bowled quickly followed by Ali leaving Sparsholt needing 8 with one over to go. A dot of the first ball increased the tension as Procter crashed another 4 off the second and single off the third. With three needed to win Stone played his solid forward defensive getting his entire body behind the ball. He then played a classic cover drive through the covers to take Sparsholt to a well fought victory.