Calmore 2nds 232 for 4 Bashley (Rydal) 3rds 118 all out

After last year’s promotion, Bashley 3rds opened their new season in Hampshire division 3 in glorious sunshine and back on the new grass square at Bashley Cricket Ground.
Calmore won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat first on an excellent wicket with a fast outfield. They started cautiously against the accurate Bashley opening bowlers David Morris and Hameed Khogyani. Morris bowled his opening 10 overs straight through conceding just 16 runs as Calmore openers struggled to make progress. Hameed made the initial breakthrough and with a wicket apiece for Sammy Laurent and young Tom Harris Calmore appeared to be struggling at 76 for 3 after 25 overs. This however brought together Holloway and Newton for Calmore and they gradually accelerated the scoring in an impressive partnership with an array of shots all round the ground. When Holloway was eventually caught behind by Will Taylor for 99 Calmore were already well on their way to a large total. At the end of their 45 overs, Calmore had reached 232 for 4 with Newton finishing on 57 not out.

After tea Bashley started their innings cautiously but soon started to lose wickets at regular intervals. Only Will Taylor 11 and Graham Pardey 27 reached double figures as top order collapsed to 51 for 5 against an accurate Calmore bowling attack. Skipper Michael O’Sullivan launched a late onslaught on the rampant Calmore bowling attack with nine fours and a six. However wickets continued to fall at the other end and when the last Bashley wicket fell for a meagre 118, O’Sullivan was left stranded on 54 not out leaving Calmore comfortable victors in the end by 114 runs.