Skipper delighted with vital victory (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Skipper delighted with vital victory

11:43am Wednesday 12th July 2006 in General By Graham Hamlett

THE cricketers of Basingstoke and North Hants' first team gained a vital win in their efforts to lift themselves clear of the Home Counties division two west bottom three.

The team defeated Wokingham by 24 runs on Saturday and claimed only their second win of the 2006 league season.

After a crushing 131-run defeat at Gerrards Cross last weekend, skipper Chris Chandler was full of praise for the way his men responded, kept their composure and bowled in Saturday's well-contested match at May's Bounty, particularly when proceedings came to a tense finale.

The home side had Wokingham - chasing Basingstoke's 207 - on the ropes early on at 10-3, with the fit-again Jon Govett taking all three wickets, but the visitors hit back.

A 99-run partnership between number two Rukshan Soza and number five Kwame Appiah saw off the threatened collapse and took the score to 109.

But South African overseas ace Donavan Koen then struck to clean bowl Soza (52), while Chandler, 21 minutes later, tempted Appiah into a shot straight into the hands of Russell Droy at mid-on to end Soza's innings on 51 and leave his team's score 138-5 at 6pm.

Although Wokingham still had wickets and overs in hand, the two key breakthroughs re-energised the Basingstoke ranks.

And the experienced Govett and Chandler, allied with Koen's excellent late spell, kept the pressure on.

They targeted the new batsmen coming in to try to support unbeaten Rahu Thava (46no), who more often than not found himself stranded at the other end during the final hour's play.

Scorecard
Basingstoke & North Hants v Wokingham Basingstoke & North Hants
RM Vinn ct Bushell b McDonald	355
RJ Droy b Hiscoe	28
CR Froud ct Soza b McDonald	17
DA Nurse b Skow	33
DC Rouse lbw Miles	14
GD Rouse ct McDonald b Skow	10
LF Nurse run out	5
JP Govett b Skow	9
D Koen ct Reddyhough b Miles	5
CJ Chandler b Miles	15
NJ Williamson not out	2
Extras	14
Total (60 overs)	207
Fall: 1-66, 2-88, 3-129, 4-140, 5-152, 6-173, 7-173, 8-181, 9-203, 10-207 Bowling: M Wilson 7-4-9-0, A Skow 14-2-46-3, R Hiscoe 6-0-27-1, S Miles 15-2-48-3, R Thava 10-3-32-0, J McDonald 8-2-33-2
Wokingham
M Bushell b Govett	4
R Soza b Koen	52
D Reddyhough lbw Govett	0
S Miles b Govett	0
K Appiah ct Droy b Chandler	51
R Thava not out	46
A Skow lbw Chandler	2
J Gilbey b Koen	0
R Hiscoe b Chandler	4
M Wilson b Govett	6
J McDonald b Koen	0
Extras	18
Total (51.5 overs)	183
Fall:1-6, 2-10, 3-10, 4-109, 5-138, 6-146, 7-149, 8-156, 9-182, 10-183 Bowling: J Govett 14-5-42-4, C Chandler 18-4-50-3, D Nurse 1-0-5-0, D Koen 18.5-3-73-3 Result: Basingstoke & NH (25 points) beat Wokingham (7 points) by 24 runs

Wokingham were nothing if not dogged during that time, and secured some streaky fours on top of some quality shots to advance ever closer to the 208 needed.

But Chandler trapped Andy Skow lbw for two to make it 146-5, and the tail were skittled out for another paltry 10 runs between them as Koen, Chandler, Govett and Koen again struck.

As number 11 John McDonald took to the field, a group of dismissed Wokingham players who were watching started making their way back to the pavilion, muttering it was "time to shake hands".

Their pessimism proved well-founded, as Koen's pace beat McDonald's bat and took leg stump to dismiss Wokingham for 183.

And it was a pleased captain Chandler who said afterwards: "Today was how I hoped we would bowl this season.

"We don't have that one bowler who can blast people out, but we do have guys who can bowl tight, keep runs down, put pressure on and take wickets, which we did today even though we're not exactly operating at full fitness.

"Govs got three early wickets very quickly and, although they had some middle-order resistance, in this league the batting isn't as strong beyond the top order as it was in the premier.

"So if you can get the first few out, it's a different game then."

He added: "Our fielding was also a major difference today. Their captain complimented me for the way the team fielded, which was very nice to hear and good of him to do.

"It's rare for opposing captains to praise the winning team.

"He felt they gave away 20 runs through poor fielding, whereas we saved 20 runs. That was the difference.

"Our 207 - the 210 region is the score we seem to be getting stuck on lately - was not really enough, so in 50 overs you don't have to bat that quickly to get it.

"The wicket was a bit funny and slow for this time of year, but Donavan bowled really well and was a big difference for us.

"He's only a young boy of 20 and he's had an illness that he's taken time to recover from, but today's performance showed what he is capable of. He really came to the fore."

After Wokingham won the toss and put their hosts in, Basingstoke posted 207, with Richard Vinn top scoring on 55.

Having called for an improved batting display after their 127-all-out showing at Gerrards Cross, Chandler and Basingstoke got it when openers Rich Vinn and Russell Droy compiled 66 in their stand before Droy was bowled by Ryan Hiscoe on 28.

"It was a shame Russell got out - the scoreboard was just starting to tick over," said Chandler. "But Rich did very well today - that's what he's in the top order to do.

"I know he's been a bit frustrated that he hasn't been scoring the runs his time at the crease deserves, but he saw off the new ball very well today and got a score that will give him confidence.

"He and Russell gave us a good start so that, after lunch, we could have a 20-over slog, which is better for guys like Dean, who bat better when they can be instinctive."

Dean Nurse, joined by his dad Leon in the side after he was called up from the seconds, was next highest run scorer after Vinn, hitting a quick-fire 33 that included five fours.

• On Sunday, Basingstoke were in action in the second round of the Bertie Joel Cup against Epsom.

Chandler had called up Craig Williamson in place of his dad Nigel, after the teen's 91 for the thirds on Saturday, while Andy Darmody was also promoted, from the seconds, in reward for his three centuries in Sunday competition this season.