On winning the toss at a warm but overcast day at The Ageas Bowl Bashley (Rydal) captain Michael Porter had no hesitation in asking the Hampshire Academy to bat first in the first round of the all day games of the season. His decision was soon vindicated as the three pronged seam attack relished the bowler friendly conditions with Kevin Nash leading the way by removing Hampshire first team player, Joe Weatherley (2) with his first ball, caught in the slips by Andy Neal, the first of four stunning catches he took in the match. Felix Organ with Ben Duggan then took the score to 32 when Nash struck again having Duggan trapped lbw for 8. With the total on 40 Nash (4-38) then took 2 wickets in 2 balls, T. Scriven (5) being caught by Neal then next ball J. Goodwin became another lbw victim. One run later and the Academy lost another wicket this time Neal (2-14) was the bowler, having J. McCoy caught by Josh Digby for a duck and with the score on 59 he struck again this time demolishing the stumps to send M Kantolinna back to the pavilion for 3. The introduction of off spinner Sam Thomson soon paid dividends having C. Searle caught by Neal for 5 and the Academy were in deep trouble at 76-7, this soon became eight wickets down with the reintroduction of Jake Lilley when he had G. Pardoe caught by Simon Watkins for another duck. Whilst all the wickets were tumbling at the other end Felix Organ played a superb innings by scoring 72 which included 10 x 4’s but he fell to a M. Porter catch off the bowling of Thomson (2-13) to be the ninth wicket to fall and two runs later Lilley (2-40) wrapped up the innings by having Zac Organ caught by Neal for 3 to bring the Young Hawks innings to a close on 104 after 37 overs of superb bowling backed up by catching and fielding of the highest calibre.
The Bashley reply started steadily with openers Neil Thurgood and Josh Digby content to knock the ball into gaps looking for singles punctuated by the occasional boundary and they took the score onto 37 when Thurgood was caught by T. Scriven for 21 off the bowling of C. Searle (2-19). Six runs later and Bashley nerves were jangling a little as the score became 43-3 with Tom Jacques (5) and Digby (15) both being dismissed at that score. Gavin Baiiff was then caught for a duck but Michael Porter together with the ever reliable Chris Ridley steadied the innings and nerves by taking the score from 64-4 to passing the required total with Porter scoring 36 not out off 20 balls and Ridley being 27 not out from 24 deliveries to leave Bashley the winners by 6 wickets in the 25th over. This Saturday Bashley (Rydal) host neighbours New Milton at the BCG with an 11.30 start.
