Jack Davies raises seasonal batting average to 463 as P & S win again

Jack Davies is now averaging a Bradmanesque 463 in 2022 after a superb innings maintained Portsmouth & Southsea’s winning start to the Southern Premier League season.

The batsman compiled an unbeaten 91 as P & S defeated Sway by one wicket to record their third successive league win at St James’ Hospital.

They are second in the embryonic Division 3 table, just one point behind Paultons.

Davies has not been dismissed in his last five innings, which have seen him score two hundreds and three other 50-plus scores.

After hitting 36 in a friendly against Pagham in his first knock of the year, Davies has struck 112 not out (v Purbrook, friendly), 101 not out (v Locks Heath, midweek league), 50 not out (v Havant 2nds, league), 73 not out (v Trojans, league) and now 91 not out. That’s a total of 427 runs without once being out.

Asked to chase 198 for victory, P & S were 23-2 when Davies arrived in the middle. Before another run had been scored, Chris Bollom (0) was dismissed.

Alex Davidson (39) helped Davies overcome that dismal start, the pair putting on 103 for the fourth wicket.

Among the last six in the P & S order, only Tom Benfield (13) managed double figures.

But Davies couldn’t be budged at one end, hitting seven fours and three sixes to raise his seasonal average to eye-popping levels with the 29th league half-century of his P & S career.

The winning run came when he hit the second ball of the 45th over to the boundary off the 112th delivery he had faced.

Earlier,MaxwellGoddard (3-34) and Keiron Dunstan (340) had pegged Sway - who had also won their opening two fixtures - back to 197-8 after they had reached 109-2, skipper Tim Noble top scoring with 56.

Purbrook suffered a third successive defeat, failing to capitalise on a great start against South Wilts 2nds.

Jahanzeb Habib (3-33) helped reduce Wilts to 65-5 after they had been inserted by Purbrook skipper Sean Figgins.

Captain Robert Pittman (51) and Tom Bolam (26) added 66 for the sixth wicket as Wilts reached 176 (extras 33, including 26 wides).

Figgins (35) top scored as Purbrook fell 28 runs short.