Liphook & Ripsley's XI made an impressive start to their Southern League Div 2 season with maximum points in a 96 run home win to Basingstoke & N Hants 2nds. Basingtoke won the toss and chose to insert Liphook on what looked a good wicket.

The win was largely the result on a convincing Liphook batting performance of 259-4. Chris Martin 34 and Rob Nicklin 55 put on 91 for the first wicket to which George Neave added a free scoring 29. With score on 106-2 after 30 overs, it was left to an increasingly devastating and unbroken partnership of 99 between Suman Ganguly 68* and Grant Rouse 52* who took advantage of a generous supply of dropped catches and an increasingly wilting Basingstoke attack blown away by an array of fine shots and quick running.

Why the visitors invited Liphook to bat was perhaps made plain as the Basingstoke reply soon slumped to 20-4 after only 8 overs, with skipper Charles Janczur claiming 3-12.
Suman Ganguly, Sean Burton, Andy Barnes each took a wicket and Bedales School pupil left arm spinner Oscar Amis grabbed 2 wickets on debut. Chris Martin snapped up 4 catches behind the stumps.

A great start to the season for the 1st XI as they travel to Totton & Ealing next week and look to build on their good start.

Man of the Match - Grant Rouse