Calmore Sports CC (133-6) sealed a narrow preliminary round victory in the National Village Cup against Hursley Park CC (129-7)

CALMORE Sports edged a four-run preliminary round victory of the National Village Cup at The Quarters, where Andy Spink went from potential hero to zero as Hursley Park crashed out.

Spink was 49, not out, and at 118-5 with 13 balls of a rain-trimmed 27-over affair still to be bowled. It appeared to have Hursley on course to overhaul Calmore’s 133-6, writes Mike Vimpany.

But instead of working the ball around the field, as he had been doing, Spink, a one-time Southampton FC fitness coach at The Dell, went for a big straight hit off 14-year-old spin prospect Oli Hibberd (3-29) and was caught on the boundary by Brad Jewer.

With Mark Lavelle (2-19) bowling the vital late overs, Hursley found themselves marooned at 129-7, four runs adrift.

Lavelle had earlier been influential with the bat. With Calmore struggling at 88-5 (Ben Johns 26), Lavelle smacked a late 34 not out and with Mitch Parker (21) to lift the 2021 Lord’s Village Cup winners to 133-6.