NJFCA Boys on top form

22nd January 2017

The New Forest U16s boys produced two superb performances in the NatWest Under-16 Indoor 

Cricket League at the weekend to beat two strong sides. 

In the first game they chased down Bournemouth's 132-3 thanks in part to unbeaten knocks

from Campbell Golding and Rhys Wathen. In the second game, Totton & Eling were seemingly

in a strong  position recording the 150-5, the highest score in the league this season.  The Forest

boys however produced a top performance with runs all round as they successfully chased down

the target with the final ball for the loss of just two wickets. 

Coach Martin Fisher is pleased with the boys progress:

"Following the end of formal District cricket a number of the boys wanted to play together again

in the indoor league.  So far, we are 4th in the league equal in points to third place.  The games

we have lost have really been down to giving too many extras away, a total that has put us at

the bottom of the 'extras' league.   The other areas of our game have been excellent which has

on many occasions 'rescued' us from the extras given away.  The highlights so far have been

the victory over the Hampshire development squad and the double header victory over

Bournemouth and Totton (who team has most of the other half of the District squad).  Connor

Tompkins and Ben Fisher are now on the list of leading wicket takers with only 4 boys having

taken more wickets - and all these four have bowled more overs. One batting highlight was

Campbell Golding retiring after facing only 8 balls on Sunday having 'destroyed' the Totton

opening bowling attack. We have been fortunate that Bryn Wathen has filled in on a couple

of occasions and in spite of being significantly younger has more than held his own.  Our longer

term injuries, to Rhys Wathen and Jamie Ball have now, hopefully, passed. If we can control the

extras there is no reason we cannot maintain or improve our league position." 

In the evenings other game, Totton & Eling defeated Bournemouth by 18 runs.

The NFJCA boys now sit proudly in joint 3rd place in the table.

The NFJCA Squad:

Previous Results:

Hook Hurricanes 127-2 (Armstrong 27*, Taylor 27*, Neville 20, Gardner 18*)
New Forest 112-4 (Reynolds 38*, Thomas 24, Tompkins 17, Armstrong 2-28)
Hook Hurricanes won by 15 runs

Fair Oak 116-4 (Smith 30*)
New Forest 114-4 (Reynolds 34*, Abbas 2-28)
Fair Oak won by two runs.

Basingstoke & North Hants 107-5 (Firrell 33, Saujan 22*)
New Forest 108-1 (Tomkins 28*, Reynolds 22*)
New Forest won by five wickets

Compton & Chandler’s Ford 121 (Dhariwal 32, Littlehales 19, Tomkins 2-10, Fisher 2-36)
New Forest 101-5 (Fisher 29, B Wathen 25*, Dhariwal 2-19).
Compton & Chandler’s Ford won by 20 runs