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Basingstoke skipper Mitch Stokes

AN UNBEATEN eighth-wicket stand of 55 dashed Basingstoke and North Hants' hopes of success in the top-of-the-table clash at Farnham Royal on Saturday.

The visitors looked in a good position, after two quick wickets had reduced the home side to 136-7 as they chased 188 for victory.

However, tail batsmen Ian Bucknell and Mohammad Amin had other ideas and steered their team to victory, which extended their lead at the top of the Home Counties Division Two West to 35 points.

Disappointed skipper Mitch Stokes said: "This was not the result we were looking for and we were certainly in with a chance, but just could not break their eighth pair. We maybe should have scored more when we batted as the middle order never built on the good start."

Basingstoke were put in to bat, but lost opener Darren Rouse for a duck when he was run out with four on the board. They recovered as Russell Droy (37) and last week's batting hero Ben Foxley (29) steered the team past 50.

Droy then departed, but Foxley and Lee Nurse (14) took the score to within touching distance of three figures, before the latter was bowled by Farnham's top bowler on the day, Krishmar Santokie (6-72).

He struck again in the same over to remove Dean Nurse (4), leaving Basingstoke on 99-4.

The innings again suffered a setback on 110, as Foxley, caught and bowled by Sharifullah Naseri (1-51), and Kenny Thirun (9) were back in the pavilion.

By lunch, skipper Stokes (50) and Jon Govett (8) had moved the score on to 124-6 from 33 overs.

The pair continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over, moving it past 150, until they were finally parted when Govett was caught by Andrew Burgess off a Santokie ball.

The same bowler then got the prized wicket of Stokes to end his 32-ball innings, which included 10 fours, to leave the visitors on 175-8.

Santokie's sixth wicket of the game arrived in his next over, when Jonathan Bradley was dismissed.

Experienced pair Nigel Williamson (6 not out) and Keith Harris (4) added 10 more to the total as Basingstoke were all out for 187 after 44 overs, giving the home side a minimum of 66 overs to reach their target.

Kenny Thirun (2-80) took just seven balls to remove opener Dan Simpson for a duck, caught behind by wicketkeeper Williamson.

Naseri also perished quickly, scoring just one, as Stokes (2-46) got his first wicket of the day.

However, opener Javed Khan (65) kept the run rate ticking along and together with the team's earlier bowling hero, Santokie (31), they moved the score to 95-3.

Santokie was the third man out when Thirun took a catch off a ball from Bradley (1-30).

The introduction of spinner Harris proved a master stroke as, in his first over, he removed opener Khan to end his innings, which included 11 fours and sixes off both Stokes and Bradley.

Four runs later, Thirun clean-bowled Farnham captain Ollie Clayson (12) to leave them on 122-5.

The victory chances of the visitors were further enhanced when Richard Sanford became the second victim for Harris and then Matt Sydall was trapped leg before by Stokes in his first over of a second spell. This left Farnham reeling at 136-7.

However, from there, Bucknell and Amin edged their team towards the finishing line, reaching 178-7 at tea.

After the interval the Basingstoke bowlers were still unable to break the partnership and, three overs later, the leaders completed the double over the visitors with another three-wicket success.

11:21am Monday 21st July 2008

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