The Bashley faithful witnessed another enthralling game at the BCG as their injury depleted team hung on for draw against Havant and their cause was hampered even more when all rounder, Simon Watkins was taken to hospital with a dislocated thumb when taking a catch in the slips. On winning the toss the Havant captain, Ben Walker, elected to bat first with himself and Peter Hopson facing the new ball attack of Jake Lilley (3-58) and left armer Bradley Currie. With the score on 16 Hopson became the first of Currie’s four wickets when he was bowled for 11 and with the very next ball S. Ransley was bowled for a golden duck, Lilley then had A. Gorvin caught by keeper Chris Ridley also for a duck and the visitors were 27-3. The next wicket to fall was C. Stone caught by the unfortunate Watkins for 8 off the bowling of Gavin Bailiff (3-49) with the total on 44-4, two runs later and Ridley took another catch off Bailiff to dismiss H. Gadd for 1. With the score on 71 B. Walker was the next wicket to fall this time Chris Vaughan taking a catch off Lilley’s bowling after scoring 30 but the experienced pair of Richard Hindley and Jez Bulled set about repairing the damage and by patience and careful shot selection they had a 99 run partnership which was broken by the retuning Currie who trapped Hindley lbw for 45 and the total was 170-7, Bulled now started to accelerate until he too fell to Currie (4-47), caught by Josh Digby for an excellent 90, the tail enders then added useful runs but Havant were bowled out for 229 after 64 overs.
Having only ten batsmen the Bashley batsmen had to dig deep against a fired up opening attack of Walker and Cameron Prentice but with the score on 10 Tom Jacques was dismissed for a duck, Tom Gates then fell lbw to A. Gorvin for 23 and then C. Vaughan was also trapped lbw by the bowling of off spinner Hindley for 13 and Bashley were 55-3. The left arm spin duo of C. Morgan (2-55) and S. Matthews (3-22) were then introduced into the attack with Michael Porter being the first of their victims when he edged a catch to slip after scoring 20. C.Ridley was also caught in the slips off Morgan for 2. Josh Digby and Gavin Bailiff then had the best partnership of the innings by taking the total from 82-5 to 135 when Digby was bowled by Matthews for 30, Bailiff continued his good form but he too fell to Matthews when he was caught by Gorvin for 40. Havant were now surrounding the bat with close catchers as they scensed victory but after the dismissal of Ryan Macciocchi for 6 the last pair of Bradley Currie (12 n.o.) and Jake Lilley (4 n.o.) survived numerous appeals and near misses to hold out for a draw as the innings closed on 157-8 after their 56 overs
