Petersfield’s Second XI were buoyant coming into this meaningless fixture between the two sides that will probably come fifth and sixth in Division 5G after three consecutive victories but came across a strong Hambledon side who seemed intent on ensuring their hosts couldn’t avenge defeat at Broadhalfpenny Down in a spicy affair earlier in the season. Another warm, slightly muggy day at the Heath making both sides want to bat first – that honour being bestowed upon the visitors with Hambledon’s captain correctly calling “heads”. (Tosswatch – that’s eight wins from fourteen tosses for Captain Badger this season).

Steve Gibson (0-27) and Wilf Vincent (1-44) opened up for Petersfield, looking for early wickets on a track with good pace and carry. Gordon Curtis (72) and Jonathan Pratt (29) were well up to the task in the opening exchanges, batting patiently and putting the odd bad ball away, seeing off the opening bowlers without incident. Nathan Barlow (0-42) came on from Vincent’s end, and kept it fairly tidy without offering to much in the way of threat, but it was the introduction of Rufus Morgan (2-33) that brought the initial breakthrough, with the young paceman taking the outside edge of Pratt’s bat to be well caught behind by Petersfield wicketkeeper James Longland. Curtis and Seb Duggan (38) took the score comfortably passed three figures, before Rich Stephens (1-40) removed Duggan with a Steak & Kidney Pie of a full toss that somehow found its way passed the batsman and onto middle stump. The good fortune didn’t spark a collapse, however, as Lucas Chandler (48) and Curtis continued to pile on the runs, with Chandler looking to sweep the dual spinners of Stephens and Tom Horwood (0-55) and Curtis using his feet to good effect. Eventually, Morgan returned to claim the all-important scalp of Curtus, having him caught well in the deep by Steve Gibson. Chandler was the next to fall, being bowled by Vincent who bowled well at the death and was worthy of his reward. Lewis Le Clerq (16*) and Simon de Fraine (20*) added a few runs at a good pace towards the end, with Hambledon ending forty overs on 242-4.

Hard work in the field for Petersfield was rewarded by a splendid spread courtesy of the Knights, especially impressive given the late notice of the call-up to prepare it with Chris Driver down on the Teas roster being called up the 1st XI – a cricketing shambles that the Club Captain wouldn’t take the Second XI Teas roster into account when selecting the sides, 50p for Henry Shore…

The players fed, it was time for Petersfield to mount an assault on the visitors’ impressive total. Regrettably, the word “assault” isn’t even close, with what happened barely registering as a “tickle”. Openers Tom Horwood (6) and Derek Kelly (1) struggled against the impressive swing of Shahryar Khan (1-9) and the frustrating accuracy of Rafi Abdeen (2-13) who almost seemed to fall through the crease as he bowled… Kelly was the first to go, bowled by Khan, with his fellow opener Horwood falling to Abdeen shortly after, playing an awful half-hearted sweep that left him absolutely dead in front of the stumps to be correctly adjudged LBW. Last week’s hero Rufus Morgan (2) couldn’t repeat his stellar efforts from the Froxfield chase, attempting a kamikaze single straight to mid-off and couldn’t get back before being run out after being sent back by Steve Gibson (6) who knew there was never a run to be had there. Matters continued to deteriorate for the hosts, with James Longland (6) being bowled by Abdeen shortly after he had hit only Petersfield’s second boundary of the innings. Gibson, who had at drinks made it clear his intention was to make the innings last the full forty overs, was then bowled by Elliot Jenkins (1-9), with Stuart Kidd then falling to Zac Bembridge (3-24), being caught at cover, to leave Petersfield reeling at 23-6. Richard Knight (2) and Rich Stephens began something that resembled a partnership – Knight struggling to get the ball away, but Stephens making runs look a whole lot easier to come by than any Petersfield batter than came before. When Knight was removed, becoming Bembridge’s second victim, being caught behind, Nathan Barlow (3) played a similar role as Knight before him – struggling to find runs whilst watching Stephens score moderately freely at the other end. Barlow fell to talented former Petersfield youngster Alfi Hitchens (1-7), with the left-armer finding Barlow’s outside edge to be well caught behind by Jonathan Pratt, who held it at full length diving away to his right in front of First Slip low down – to quote Mr Barlow: “That was a proper bit of cricket, that!”. Tom Mason (0) couldn’t get going and was clean bowled by Bembridge to give him his third and final wicket, with Number Eleven Wilf Vincent (0) not able to trouble the scorers to give opposition captain Simon de Fraine a wicket to complete a good all-round day for the visitors. That final wicket leaving Rich Stephens frustrated on an unbeaten 37, with Petersfield all out for 86 and Hambledon winning by 156 runs.

Not too much to debrief today… Petersfield bowled Ok, could have been better in the field but without it being a complete shambles, but the batting scorecard looking like a phone number (aside from the laudable efforts of Mr Stephens) is where Petersfield were really let down – an inability to rotate the strike in the face of tight bowling building extreme pressure that simply led to wickets tumbling and a revolving door of batters coming and going from the crease. Truth be told, the better side won and won at a canter.

Petersfield will be on the road next week, heading south on the A3 to visit Purbrook who will be looking to capitalise on their remaining promotion hopes from the last couple of games. Will the Second XI be able to dust themselves down to be promotion party poopers on Purbrook Heath? Join us next week to find out…