Southern League cricket: Sway and Langley Manor set for promotion battle

A WINNER-takes-all end to the Southern League Division 3 season is on the cards for two New Forest teams on 3rd September when Sway travel to promotion rivals Langley Manor.

Both sides needed to win at the weekend and both duly obliged. SPL newcomers Sway now have a one-point advantage but only one of the Forest contenders one can be promoted in second place.

The Manor’s victory was the more dramatic, hammering leaders Portsmouth & Southsea at home by 151 runs, dismissing them for a trifling 45. Put in to bat, Jack Budd (44) and Steve Harris (44) were the chief reasons Langley were able to register 196-9 in their 50 overs, in spite of a 5-27 contribution by P&S’s Ben Saunders.

Saunders’ performance, however, was put in the shade by Langley’s Simon Peters. In an astonishing and uninterrupted 9.5-over rout, Peters took a bewildering 8-17 to rip out the usually rock solid P&S batting; only three reached double figures.

Meanwhile, Sway, eyeing events at Langley online, registered their equally important win against relegation threatened Basingstoke & N Hants II, who won the toss and built a useful 204-9.

Neil Shelar caught the eye with a nine-boundary 69, and there was positive middle-order batting from Mandeep Sharma (34) and Abdullah Abid (25).

Left-arm paceman Jon Grasham 4-38 and latterly Richard Thomas 2-11 were instrumental in keeping the Basingstoke total in range.

Sway’s top four got into the teens without capitalising before Dave Steadman – who had scored a ton in the home fixture – stepped forward.

With the energetic and increasingly impressive Tom Burton (41 not out), Steadman took on the task of steering his side home to 205-5. He ended on an undefeated 89 which included three sixes.

Sway must entertain Paultons, and Langley travel to Trojans this Saturday before they meet to decide that vital promotion spot.