Taw stars in ‘perfect’ Havant T20 cup win
Skipper Chris Morgan hailed a ‘perfect’ performance as Havant lifted the Southern Premier League’s T20 Cup for the sixth time.
Teenager Alfie Taw bagged his best-ever 1st XI figures in a one-sided final against top flight rivals
Hook & Newnham Basics at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl.
Taw claimed the wickets of both openers, en route to a 4-17 haul.
Hook limped to just over 100 with Havant romping to a nine-wicket success with more than four overs in hand.
Taw bowled Samuel Lockwood (9) and then rearranged the stumps of Hook skipper Josh Buckingham after Morgan won the toss and elected to field.
Only Matt Buckingham (40) and Harry Warner (27) offered much resistance with a fourth wicket stand of 54.
They were the only two Hook batsmen to reach double figures as their side crashed from 100-5 to finish on 106-9.
Morgan claimed 2-9 off his four overs while Richard Hindley (2-25) dismissed
Hook’s top two scorers.
In reply, Harry Gadd struck 27 in an opening stand of 39 with Ben Walker before he was caught and bowled by Josh Balcombe.
That would prove to be Hook’s sole success, as Pete Hopson joined Walker in an unbroken partnership of 70.
Walker ended unbeaten on 49 after hitting the second and third balls of the 15th over - bowled by Harry Warner - to the boundary. He faced just 34 balls and struck six fours and a six.
Hopson ended unbeaten on 32 off 27 balls as Havant retained the trophy they had won with a comfortable victory over Hampshire Academy at Totton & Eling in2020.
‘Hook were at full strength but we played as perfect a game of T20 cricket for as long as I can remember,’ said Morgan.
‘We were really terrific.
All the things I’ve asked of the boys this season and last season - intensity, energy, bowling to plans - they delivered.
‘Our bowling performance was brilliant and the fielding was outstanding.’