US top order flop as P & S triumph
... and Karippai hits maiden ton as Kerala win again
United Services Portsmouth suffered an alarming collapse en route to Hampshire League Division 3 South defeat against city rivals Portsmouth & Southsea 2nds.
P & S trio Muhammad Ali (3-29), Jon Ashford (2-11) and Dean Wilson (2-18) combined to reduce US from 26-1 to 36-7 at St James.
Six of the US top seven scored just two between them - singles for Vineet Vajpayee and skipper Sameen Mahboob and ducks for Seshadri Nadathur, Connor Crofts, Zaker Loskor and Josh Reilly.
Jahanzeb Habib - 38 off 22 balls, with five fours and two sixes - put on 44 for the eighth wicket with Abu Ashraf (19) and a further 26 for the ninth with Z Bashir (13).
But US were dismissed for 114 with Connor Saunders taking 2-29.
No 3 Sayeed Shahid (30) top scored in reply as P & S collected their sixth win in eight games by a five-wicket margin.
P & S are fourth, with city rivals Kerala immediately above them after their sixth win in seven matches.
■ Jubin Karippai collected a maiden Hampshire League century as Kerala posted 257-6 at Rugby Camp after winning the toss against Folland.
Having compiled 77 in his previous league innings against Southampton Community, Karappai scored exactly 100.
Next best was wicket-keeper Prajun Kallidil, who hit 46 at the top of the order alongside Pranav Pathiyarappattu (33).
Karappai wasn’t finished yet - he was one of four Kerala bowlers to take two wickets as Folland were dismissed for 207 to lose by 50 runs.
Skipper Dawn Ambi took 2-18, Prasad Panicker 2-22,
Pradeesh Nair 2-26 and Karippai 2-41.
Kerala have so far been waiting for slips from top two Mudeford and Fair Oak 2nds that have yet to arrive.
Both the top two have won all eight games they have played so far, with Mudeford routing
Langley Manor 2nds for 73 to win their latest fixture by 183 runs.
■ Elsewhere in the division, teenager Josh Wilkins struck his maiden Hampshire League century in a losing cause for Old Netley & Highfield. He hit 104 in his side’s eight-wicket loss to Totton & Eling 2nds, with his career best remaining the 136 he compiled for Old Netley U17s against Havant U17s two years ago.