Laney top scores as St Cross claim title

Two current Hampshire players and another who used to be a county regular helped St Cross 2nds win the Southern Premier League’s Premier/ Division 1 grand final.

Felix Organ and Harry Came both regulars in this summer’s Bob Willis Trophy campaign - bolstered the top order in the final against Bournemouth.

And Jason Laney, who played 84 first class games for Hampshire, was also included in a side which claimed a 10-run win at the Greenjackets ground in Winchester.

St Cross had only just pipped Havant to win the Premier/Division 1 East qualifying group, and their inclusion of current Hampshire players had raised eyebrows elsewhere in the league.

Though Organ has been involved with St Cross since he started playing cricket, Came hails from north of the county.

Organ, pictured, and Came both batted in the top four, and both bowled eight overs - indeed, they shared four of the six wickets that were taken by bowlers.

Laney, who has also previously played for US Portsmouth and Havant, top scored with 51 as St Cross, electing to bat, posted 188-7 from their 40 overs.

Organ (29) and Came (21) were the next highest scorers while skipper Ed Ellis - who helped St Cross win the SPL Premier Division title in 2018 - struck 20.

Bournemouth openers Nick Park (26) and Sam Collins put on 56 before Organ (2-24) had the former caught by wicket-keeper Ellis.

Luke Matthews was to top score with 42 before Laney caught him off the bowling of Came (2-36).

Skipper Chris Park was left 21 not out as Bournemouth finished on 178-7.

Jack Davies struck his maiden T20 century as Portsmouth & Southsea suffered a second cup final loss in as many days.

The opener hammered an unbeaten 103 off 68 balls as P & S rattled up 172-2 against higher division Fair Oak in the final of the Southern Premier League’s T20 Plate at St James’.

But Oak, after losing early wickets, claimed a four-wicket victory when Rufus Bullough struck a six off teenager Umar Malik with just three balls remaining.

It was a cruel ending to the truncated 2020 season for Ben Saunders and his P & S side, who had lost the SPL Division 2/Division 3 grand final to another higher division club, Bashley Rydal 2nds, the previous day.

P & S have now lost three finals in two years - in 2019 they also reached the Plate final but lost to the Hampshire Academy by 11 runs at The Ageas Bowl.

Report, reaction and pictures appear in tomorrow’s edition of The News.

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