Moors' magic not quite enough for Lymington Cricket Club in match against Havant in SPL Premier Division
SPL Premier Division
Lymington CC I 271-9
Havant I 274-6
LYMINGTON declared with one ball left after a masterful ton by Conor Moors, but their greatly improved display was not enough to get back to winning ways.
Moors scored his first century in SPL cricket, but Havant stuck to their task and picked up a four-wicket win with just eight balls to go.
Captain Ben Rogers lost the toss, and Havant elected to field on a wicket that offered some help to seamers, and Lymo were soon at 15-2 after the demise of Rogers (1) and Monam Abbas (1) to opening bowler Richard Jerry (2-30).
Then it was the turn of Moors and Terry Crabb (29). They managed to stabilise the innings for a while, putting on 32 runs for the third wicket before Moors was joined by Jovan Dhariwal (7). However, it was only with the arrival of Saqlain Choudhary (24) that Lymington consolidated their innings as they put on 48 for the fifth wicket.
With a more patient knock than usual, Moors finished with 13 fours – including four in six balls – and four sixes in a 118-ball knock.
He finally holed out to Kai Ziemkendorf off the bowling of Richard Hindley (3-64), but not before the same catcher had dropped Moors early in his innings.
Dan Cox helped the side, scoring 42 before he was run out chasing late runs. Cox and Josh Royan (15) put on 50 for the seventh wicket, with the tailenders also chipping in with runs as Lymington declared with one ball to go. Havant got off to a solid start as Fletcha Middleton (73), freed from his responsibility of opening the batting for Hampshire in red-ball cricket, was in control. With Peter Hopson (34), the duo put on 108 for the first wicket.
After getting hit about when he first came on, Cox finally got Hopson's wicket thanks to a prompt stumping by keeper Jake Smith.
Asad Abbas (1-66) and his teammates were inevitably elated by removing Middleton, who was clean-bowled. However, captain George Metzger took the game away from Lymo, firing 87 runs in just 65 balls.
Richard Hindley (21 not out) and Harrison Barnard (29 not out) finally saw Havant home with eight balls to spare.
Australian Lewis Martin (1-70) was the other wicket-taker, who is still getting to grips with English conditions.
Lymington are away from home against Alton on Saturday att 11am.