JOE Oates produced a great all-round performance as Basingstoke and North Hants won the Hampshire Under-15 Cup final.
The May’s Bounty youngsters beat Sparsholt by 18 runs at Hursley Park on Monday to win the county title for the first time since 2005, when Adam Rouse was part of the team.
Opener Oates led the way with the bat as he retired not out on 53 (39 balls, nine fours).
He was well supported by Jordan Coombs (36), who hit six boundaries. The pair helped Basingstoke to a score of 121-3 from their 20 overs.
The Sparsholt reply started well and they looked in with a chance at 91-5.
However, Oates ripped through the tail, taking a hat-trick on his way to figures of 4-10 as Sparsholt were all out for 103.
Joe Oates celebrates his man-of-the-match performance
This was after Matthew Deadman (2-12), Ashley Neal (2-19), Shay Bradley (1-30) and Ben Firrell (1-7) had all taken wickets for Basingstoke.
Nick White was unbeaten on 47 but ran out of partners.
Also at the same venue on the same night, Odiham and Greywell under-13s were unable to make it a double for north Hampshire sides as they lost by six wickets to St Cross Symondians.
It was only the second time in Odiham’s 250-year history that a junior side had made a Hampshire final.
Odiham batted first. Jonty Seborne was their top scorer, retired not out with 30, while opener Billy Pocock (19) helped his side to 99-5 from 20 overs.
Their Winchester-based opponents reached their target with eight balls to spare for the loss of just four wickets, as Tom Basey, Sanyay Aruchelvham and Toby Cathersides snapped up one wicket each.
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