A game that promised so much and could have lifted Lymington to fourth position in the Premier Division table ended in major disappointment. Having got off to a promising start an indifferent all round display saw the side slide to a 147 run defeat. Yet Portsmouth had nothing much to play for being safe in mid-table and thinking more about their semi-final T20 SPCL fixture the following day writes Lionel Colby.

Lymington got off to a great start with captain Gareth Berg having won the toss and putting Portsmouth into bat who slipped to 56-4 at one stage. Berg put in another bowling master class with 1-14 in 10 overs straight and soon had Nazim Saddiqui (15) back in the pavilion and was unlucky not to take more wickets. Then the returning Josh Royan (3-49) took the next three wickets cheaply starting with Sam Coddy (15), Ray Reynolds (9) and the dangerous Dan Wimble (3) the club’s second highest run scorer this season. This then brought in George Metzger (75), the club’s top league scorer, and captain Harry Gadd (96) together. With attacking shots and potential catches splitting the field they put on 118 runs for the fifth wicket in just 20 overs.

Lymington then had a slice of luck when Metzger having been dropped on 64 unluckily played on to Ethan Baker (2-52). However, Harry Gadd held the later order together and with brother Freddie (14) put on 33 before the latter was run out to a direct hit from Baker. There was then a 47 partnership with Tom Lewis (6 not out) for the ninth wicket with Harry Gadd looking to power his way to a century before running out of partners. However, he was then caught by Terry Crabb off the bowling of Charlie Wilson (2-54) four runs short with just four balls left in the innings after having hit a six with his two previous balls.

It was a challenging total to chase but the Lymington batters showed little application in chasing it with poor shot selection and a steady visitor bowling attack. Opener Ryan Scott (7) was soon out to spinner Tom Lewis (4-13 in 7.2 overs) who then went on to claim the scalp of Ethan Baker (6), the century maker of the previous week, and trap Charlie Wilson (10) lbw. Terry Crabb (33) having hit 28 in boundaries then fell to Freddie Gadd (3-36). Wickets continued to fall steadily as the middle order failed with just a small partnership (23) between Berg (7) and keeper Conor Moors (17) before Moors was bowled by Ben De Laszio (2-20). Having had a difficult afternoon time with his bowling Bertie Atkins (10) did his best to support Josh Royan (16) as the pair put on 23 for the ninth wicket before Royan was lbw to Siraj Ali Zaidi (1-14) and Lymington were all out in the 36th over.

This coming Saturday Lymington travel to Salisbury to face South Wilts in the last league game of the season. A win would ensure a mid-table finish for Lymington but this season’s runners up will be no pushover although the side has already beaten South Wilts once this season.

Photo: James Robinson