U16s reach play-off finals on March 26th

New Forest U16s knew they had to win one of the two games on Sunday evening to guarantee qualification for the finals day on 26th March. The first game was against South Wilts and winning the toss South Wilts were put into bat maintaining our 100% record of batting second in the league this year! Some loose bowling saw South Wilts get to a high score of 142, the second highest score against us this season. Campbell Golding (New Milton) and Ben Fisher (Redlynch) opened the batting in the usual brisk fashion with both retiring. There was a slow down in the middle overs and we lost three cheap wickets before Ben came back in to bat with Rhys Wathen (Romsey and OTs) with a high rate required. Just when it looked as though it would go down to the last ball Rhys opened his shoulders to hit two powerful sixes leaving Ben to score the final winning 3 runs with two balls to spare. Rhys finishing on 39 no, Ben on 36 no with Campbell Golding scoring 30 and Ned Thomas (Hyde) 20.

This win guaranteed our place in the finals day and the second game was against the, as yet, undefeated SE Hants. Yet again the opposition batted first and again there were far to many wides leading to SE Hants amassing 145. We never quite got on the rate in return scoring 10 an over in the first six overs but allowing far too many dot balls after that. Star man with the bat was Campbell Golding who retired and on returning late on was left the unenviable task of having to hit a six every ball! Unsurprisingly we lost by 35 runs.

Coach Ieuan Wather said' "We can do really well on finals day and have the beating of anyone there if we can just control the wides. I am really confident in our batting and all the boys have contributed with the runs this year in different games. Lets hope their radar's are tuned in on 26th!"

Report by Martin Fisher and Ieuan Wathen