TIM Keighley's young Andover 2nd XI got their league campaign off to a winning start last Saturday with an excellent away victory at Fareham & Crofton in Hants County Division One.

The Andover side were in deep trouble at 58-6 but skipper Keighley (48no) and Rob Palmer (43) saved the day with a match-winning partnership of 66, Palmer smashing the ball to all parts of the ground in a 29-ball stay at the crease. He was eventually out, caught on the long-on boundary, whilst Keighley finished unbeaten as the tail hung around to help him push the score up to 171.

Fareham's innings started badly with Ian Gardner snapping up two wickets in two balls in his second over and Cillie van der Mewre taking a superb catch behind the stumps, diving full stretch to pluck the ball inches off the ground.

This set the tone of the Fareham innings. An excellent fielding display and tight bowling, especially from Steve Simpson, ensured that the home side were always chasing the game.

Luke Graham used the conditions well to pick up 4-23 in 8.2 overs, Gardner doubled his second-over tally to finish with 4-43 whilst Steve Williams took 2-35. Mark Coplestone fielded like a panther and took two excellent catches to close Fareham's reply 19 runs short.

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Andover 3rd XI tumbled to a heavy defeat against Fair Oak in Hants County Division Three after a poor batting display saw them whittled out for a measly 80 ast Saturday. Fair Oak didn't have it all their own way and also struggled for runs on a green wicket and reached 153 all out in the 43rd over.

Andy McMahon (4-43) gained an early breakthrough, followed by a smart run out from Rob Oostedorp (1-35) but Chris Breeze (4-39) did the damage by grabbing three wickets to leave Fair Oak in some disarray at 66-5. However, Andover could not quite seize the initiative, despite Andy Hooper reeling off 19 overs for only four runs, before McMahon returned to claim three wickets as he and Breezw finished off the Fair Oak innings.

Andover's reply had a disastrous start with Dale Green out second ball. Rob Oostendorp and Richard Collins soon followed. John Copleston (6) hung around but when he was dismissed Andover were reeling at 25-4. D Manning (5-29) gained his fifth victim when he took a stunning caught and bowled to remove Andy Green but Tim Brown (29) and Andy McMahon (6) staged a mini-recovery as they took the score to 62 when McMahon was bowled. Brown soon followed and, despite Simon Mundy (9) trying to hold the tail together, Andover were all out in the 26th over.