Second string remains unbeaten

Hambledon maintained their unbeaten record with a narrow triumph over Hythe & Dibden in Hampshire League division three south.

With wind roaring across the Ridge, the two captains completed the toss and the away side chose to have a bowl.

A poor start from the Dons saw Owain Chapman run out and Jamie Lewis bowled with the first five overs.

At 12 for two it was looking shaky but Paul Vickers and Nick Scutt knuckled down and started to steady the ship.

After 15 overs, the Dons were now 52 for two with both batsman starting to get in the groove.

And they continued to work the ball around and pick off the bad balls before the next wicket fell in the 35th over - Vickers out for 76 bowled around his legs

Scutt followed soon after reaching his half century - returning to the pavilion after producing a vital 55 runs and unlucky to be given out leg before wicket.

Last week's heroes - Will Atkinson and Adrian Magrath - were now at the crease and looking to have a bash with the former making 21 before being caught out and Magrath posting 10.

This left youngster Ioeseph Farrell and captain Rhidian Chapman to try to raise the score and the latter set about it in the right fashion as he got off the mark with a six.

Chapman saw most of the strike in the last four overs, ending up 23 not out and short of oxygen as Farrell ran harder than Forrest Gump to make some ones into twos as he finished four not out.

The Dons post 211 for six from their 45 and after tea the teams took to the field once more with conditions easing a little.

Chapman opened from the top end and Kyle Shinn from the bottom with the pair combining for a tight first 15 overs - the ball swinging around as Hythe & Dibden reached 35 for one.

A change of bowling saw the young Dons spinners George Harding and Spencer Le-Clercq get a chance to show what they could do.

The pair bowled in tandem and started to build some more pressure on the opposition, who at the drinks break were 75 for two with the game poised to go either way.

A Dons trademark wicket fell in the first over after the break as Le-Clercq claiming his first - before adding another in his next over.

At 30 overs it was 103 for four but Hythe still had plenty of batting in their middle order despite Harding picking up a wicket and finishing his spell with one for 38.

Le-Clercq returned two for 51 before the final 10 overs saw Lewis from the top end, then Kyle and Rhidian finishing their allocated overs from the bottom.

At 40 overs, Hythe were 165 for four with two batsman set and looking to go big but the Dons kept calm and picked up vital wickets to eat away at the momentum.

Shinn ended his 10 overs with one for 40, while Chapman took one for 24 to leave Hythe requiring 22 from the final over to be bowled by Lewis.

And Lewis kept his nerve as the opposition fell 12 short of the total with seven wickets down.

Chapman said: 'It was a nervy one for the Dons - after dropping too many catches which made it closer than it needed to be.

'But it is another win and we continue our good start to the 2013 campaign.'