Table-toppers Bashley get by with a little help from their Friend

Southern Premier Division: Bashley (Rydal) 233 v Burridge 118 (Bashley CC win by 115 runs)

TOM Friend’s maiden century for Bashley (Rydal) saved the day after the visitors collapsed to 5-3 at the start of play.

Hilio de Abreu (3-52) nipped out Bashley openers Ben Walker and Tim Taylor, and Patrick Holly soon followed as Bashley made a nightmare start.

Ten minutes after the start of play, Friend was at the crease repairing the damage alongside Michael Porter (30), the pair easing Bashley towards a more comfortable 74-4 when the Cape Town spin all-rounder struck again.

By this time, Friend was well into his stride, launching one huge six over mid-wicket on to the Hamble riverbank and striking some imperious boundaries across the lush Botley Road outfield.

He lost three more partners as Bashley’s total climbed, but remained in total control, hitting another maximum and 11 fours in a superb match-turning innings.

Friend departed at 194-8, bowled around his legs by Dan Stancliffe (3-54), before tenth wicket pair Ross Grierson (26*) and Brad Currie (13) added a handy 38 to ease Bashley to 233 all out.

In the second innings, Currie struck with the ball. Shortly after receiving his Southern Premier Division Cricketer of the Month award for June, he ripped into the Burridge batting, removing Richard Lock and Azim Chowdhury in quick succession to leave the hosts 22-2.

Joe Collings-Wells (19) and de Abreu (17) held things up for a while, but another two strikes by Currie (4-12) triggered a collapse which saw Burridge lose their next five wickets for 27 runs.

Left-arm spinner Ross Grierson worked his way through the lower order, finishing with 5-38 as Burridge sank to 118 all out.