SOUTHAMPTON cricket week was the sporting highlight of the past few days and proved quite a quite a draw for Sotonions.

The event came to a satisfying conclusion when Hampshire convincingly beat Sussex in their final game of the tournament, the Daily Echo reported 100 years ago today.

The 2,000 spectators who made their way to the County Cricket Ground were privy to some exhilarating cricket on what was the third and final day of the contest, which culminated with a brilliant finish to the match, which Hampshire won easily by eight wickets.

It was also particularly gratifying for the organisers of the event that the game against Sussex lasted for three days, because the game was also used as a fitting benefit match to honour Alec Bowell’s 12 years of faithful service with the club, with the gate receipts from the match going to Bowell.

The most interesting spectacle of the day was the magnificent last wicket stand for Hampshire by A Jaques and Livsey.

Their 107 runs was the second highest last wicket partnership recorded in Hampshire cricket.

Thanks to this magnificent partnership, Hampshire were placed in a winning position and made full use of the advantage, from which victory for the host team was secured.

• STAFF at the Capital and Counties Bank, in Southampton’s High Street, were left in a state of shock when Christopher Hilton, the bank porter, suffered horrific injuries after he fell through the building’s skylight.

The Daily Echo report from a century ago today explained that the sun’s glare was coming through into the bank, and so Hilton climbed up to whitewash the skylight to eliminate the blinding sunlight.

However he slipped from the plank he was standing on and fell through the glass about 25ft on to the floor below.

Hilton was taken to the Royal South Hants and Southampton Hospital, where his injuries included a fractured leg, a dislocated elbow, and some very serious lacerations to his face.

Despite the best efforts of the hospital’s medical staff, Hilton succumbed to his injuries and died later that afternoon, leaving his colleagues at the bank in a state of disbelief.