Purbrook put miserable season to bed with first win since 2021
Purbrook were celebrating after claiming their first league victory since 2021.
They got over the line by two wickets in a low-scoring Hampshire League Division 1 tussle with East Woodhay.
That ended a long wait for a win, with Purbrook having lost all their games en route to finishing bottom of the Southern Premier League’s fourth tier last year.
Hamid Khan took 3-17 as East Woodhay were skittled for 94 after being inserted, Richard Dando hitting 32.
Purbrook also found it tough going with the bat, and there was still work to do when Khan was the eighth man out with the score on 72.
The hosts were indebted to an undefeated 29 by Sean Figgins, who added an unbroken 23 for the ninth wicket with No 10 batter Harrison Branch (2 not out).
Dando also starred with the ball, finishing with 4-24 from 10 overs.
Burridge 2nds are one of only three clubs in the 18-team division yet to lose – table-topping Compton & Chandlers Ford and Hursley Park are the others.
After their opening two fixtures were rained off, Burridge won by 20 runs in a high-scoring contest at Basingstoke & North Hants 2nds thanks largely to a Rajat Parmar century.
The No 3 hit 111 from 117 balls with 10 fours and four sixes to help fire Burridge to 246-7 from their 50 overs after they chose to take first knock.
Despite 50 from opener Richard Vinn, the home team were second favourites for much of their reply. They ended up on 226-9, with No 9 Prashant Yelpale blasting an unbeaten 48 from only 27 balls. Charlie Creal took 4-46.
Portsmouth 2nds hit back after their drubbing at the hands of Compton & Chandlers Ford, winning by 33 runs at Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
A sixth-wicket partnership of 117 between Ishafaque Ahmad (58 not out) and Gursaant Singh (58) helped Portsmouth recover from 90-5 to reach 234-9 after being stuck in. Julion Jayerajah took 3-53.
Ryde were behind the eight ball virtually throughout their reply and, despite rallying from 77-6 to 201-9, it wasn’t quite enough. Charlie Collins did much of the toporder damage with splendid figures of 4-20 from 10 overs.
Compton & Chandlers Ford completed back-to-back wins with an 85-run victory at home to Bournemouth 2nds.
They posted 230-8 from their 50 overs after being asked to bat, led by 55 from captain Alex Spearing and Jameel Khan’s 50 at No 6.
Jake Markham took 3-56 for Bournemouth, who slumped from 53-0 to 145 all out in reply with, remarkably, four of their top five batsmen run out.
Tinashe Bruce Chimbambo pulled off two of the runouts and later claimed three wickets to polish the visitors off.
Ferndown Wayfarers have also recorded successive victories, the latest a 70-run triumph at home to Shrewton.
Odiham & Greywell opened their account with a 23-run success away to Alton 2nds, while Hythe & Dibden triumphed by a mere six runs in a nail-biting contest away to Easton & Martyr Worthy.
Old Basing were the weekend’s other victors, winning by six wickets at home to Dorset outfit Winton.