AUSTRALIAN Aaron Wivell’s six-laden knock of 98 helped an under-strength Hartley Wintney to their first win of the season in Southern League Division One.

The village side’s overseas player smashed a total of seven sixes before getting out just two runs short of reaching a century against Calmore Sports yesterday afternoon.

It was a vital knock. Having been put in to bat, Hartley were struggling badly at 22-3, but Wivell and Danny Flanders (41) shared a partnership worth 132 for the fourth wicket to put the hosts in the driving seat.

Wivell took the lead, attacking the short boundary at the village green to great effect as he raced towards 100. He didn’t quite get there, caught out by a fielder on the long on boundary for 98, but having taken his side to 154-4 after just 27 overs, the Australian had changed the course of the game.

Hartley were unable to really build on the platform Wivell had built, adding only a further 101 runs in the remaining 23 overs, but a total of 255 certainly gave them something to defend.

Calmore got off to a good start with the bat, but three quick wickets stopped them in their tracks and they were always struggling to keep up with the run-rate thereafter.

A fine partnership of 60 between James Rose (19) and number nine batsman Michael West (34) briefly gave the visitors hope of an unlikely victory, but when both fell in quick succession, the game was up.

Both sides went into the game after a slow start to the season and having won the toss, the visitors chose to field first.

Hartley, missing key all-rounder Scott Baldwin, mixed up their batting line-up, with Chris Jolley promoted to a pinch-hitting opener.

However, he lost his partner, Simon Carter, in the opening over and after hitting a couple of fours, Jolley was next to depart, caught in the slips with the score on 15.

Captain Jamie Teale soon followed him back to the pavilion and Hartley looked in big trouble at 22-3 after just five overs.

It should have been 47-4 soon after, but Wivell was dropped by a Calmore fielder, a mistake that proved to be very costly as he and Danny Flanders forged an impressive partnership.

Wivell was in top form, smashing numerous boundaries before falling just two runs short of his century, holing out to long on trying to bring up three figures in style.

His innings had changed the game, but Hartley were unable to push on in the closing stages, losing wickets at regular intervals.

Will Ross (21) and Julian Ford (32) produced hard-hitting cameos to help Hartley beyond 250, but the game was very much in the balance when the innings came to an end, the hosts having posted 255.

Hartley began the game with a shortage of bowlers and their problems were exacerbated when Tommy Flanders pulled up with a rib injury after his first over.

Calmore openers Mark Lavelle (21) and Darren Vann (20) got the visitors off to a decent start, but after they were dismissed in consecutive overs, the innings stalled.

Jolley produced an excellent full delivery to dismiss Ben Perry for six soon after and while a fourth-wicket partnership of 77 between Ben Johns (34) and Callum Holloway (32) kept them in the game, they were behind the required run-rate.

Both were dismissed by the left-arm spin of Mark Teale (4-33) as they looked to take the game to Hartley and when Tommy Peglar was clean bowled by the same bowler with the final delivery of the 34th over, the visitors were in big trouble at 131-6.

That soon became 145-7, but Rose and West took advantage of Hartley’s part-time bowling attack to reduce the target to 54 from 36 balls with some hard hitting.

However, both fell in the 45th over, giving Wivell two wickets to add to his 98 runs, and the innings ended early as Tommy Flanders, bowling at half-pace, claimed the final wicket.

Click here to watch a post-match interview with Hartley Wintney captain Jamie Teale

SCORECARD

Hartley Wintney

C Jolley c Vann b Proudley 13

S Carter lbw b Proudley 0

J Teale b Proudley 7

A Wivell c Lavelle b Rose 98

D Flanders c Holloway b West 41

D Wrenn c&b Lavelle 12

W Ross b West 21

J Ford st Donovan b Perry 32

T Flanders c Lavelle b Proudley 2

M Teale Not Out 6

J Kerr st Donovan b Perry 5

Extras 18

Total (all out, 50 overs) 255

Fall: 1-4, 2-15, 3-22, 4-154, 5-182, 6-193, 7-221, 8-223, 9-246

Bowling: P Proudley 10-0-51-4, S Wright 6-0-63-0, M West 9-1-47-2, M Lavelle 10-1-35-1, J Rose 10-1-38-1, B Perry 5-0-17-2

Calmore Sports

M Lavelle c Ross b Jolley

D Vann c Wivell b J Teale 20

B Johns c D Flanders b M Teale 30

B Perry b Jolley 0

C Holloway c Jolley b M Teale 32

T Peglar b M Teale 5

J Rose c Ford b Wivell 19

P Proudley c Ross b M Teale 8

M West c D Flanders b Wivell 35

M Donovan Not Out 3

S Wright c Jolley b Flanders 1

Extras 33

Total (all out, 45.5 overs) 207

Fall: 1-40, 2-44, 3-48, 4-125, 5-130, 6-131, 7-143, 8-203, 9-204

Bowling: C Jolley 9-1-18-2, T Flanders 1.5-0-11-1, J Teale 10-1-33-1, A Wivell 3-0-19-2, M Teale 10-1-33-4, D Wrenn 6-0-35-0, W Ross 6-0-46-0

RESULT: Hartley Wintney (22 points) beat Calmore Sports (9) by 48 runs

Related Links

VIDEO REACTION - Hartley Wintney v Calmore Sports

AS IT HAPPENED - Hartley Wintney beat Calmore Sports by 48 runs