Fair Oak (65 for 0) beat OTs & Romsey (64 all out) by 10 wickets

Hampshire League - County Division 1

FAIR OAK climbed to the summit of the Hampshire League with the ruthless execution of much-fancied OTs & Romsey, Derek Manning once again taking the honours with a punishing spell of bowling.

South African-born Manning rearranged Stuart Tulk's furniture with the very first ball of the match, and blew away the rest of the OTs top order to finish with 6 for 27. Only opener Mike Trodd, who made 25, showed much resistance, Morne van Rooyen providing the backup with 1 for 24 off nine overs.

Spinner Rhys Oxley mopped up the visitors' tail, taking the last three wickets without conceding a run.

A target of 65 was always going to be a cakewalk for Oaks, who strolled home in 23 overs without losing a wicket. Openers Mark Thorne (41no) and Luke Savage (22no) took the opportunity to boost their batting averages.

After the game several Oaks players drove up to watch Tichborne Park, who did them a favour by beating Andover - giving Fair Oak a two-point advantage at the top.

Oaks' 2nd XI's hopes of promotion from South Division 1 were derailed by Brading, who bowled them out for 60 after posting a formidable 202 for 7 (Darren Cobb 62).

Oaks' reply was strangled by the nagging line and length of J Fleming, who took 9 for 33 by serving up an unremitting diet of inswinging leg-stump yorkers.

Fair Oak III enjoyed a thrilling tie against Hollybank - a match full of twists and turns, good cricket, and excellent sportsmanship from Hollybank.

Oaks made 179 for 7, Ryan Goodyear top scoring with 84 not out and Ian Bass contributing 37.

Hollybank's reply was built around Ed White (56) and Guy Guppy (37). Andy Mash took 4 for 42, but the visitors edged toward their target and reached 179 by the last ball of the match.

Attempting to scamper the winner, they were thwarted by a superb run-out from 15-year-old Tom Hockenhull, which left the honours deservedly shared.

There was also a close finish for Fair Oak IV, who sneaked home by three wickets in Central Division 4 at Ordnance Survey II.

Dave James was the star for Oaks, picking up 4 for 12 in 12 overs of accurate swing bowling.

Chasing the mapmakers' 147 for 7, Oaks accelerated in mid-innings and survived the loss of wickets at crucial times, Sam Harrison and Dave Marshall saw them home in a plucky eighth-wicket stand.