Danny Briggs marked his Ventnor return with a key all-round contribution as the club opened the season with victory over Calmore Sports.
Ventnor were delighted to include former England spinner Danny Briggs in Saturday’s Southern Premier League Division One curtain-raiser against Calmore Sports at Steephill.
With prolific Sri Lankan Dineth Thimodya back for a 5th season but ruled out through a finger injury, Briggs’ availability provided a major boost for the Islanders.
Briggs, who began his cricketing journey at Ventnor, has re-joined Sussex on a 3-year contract from Warwickshire and will be part of the Hove-based club’s Vitality T20 Blast squad and coaching set-up. He will also play for Trent Rockets in The Hundred, meaning regular availability for his hometown club is unlikely.
After skipper Ben Woodhouse won the toss and elected to field, George Watts did the early damage with figures of 3-16 before Briggs claimed 1-10. Archie Lucy took 2-31, Dan Cox 2-33 and Ethan Short 1-17 as Calmore were reduced to 66-8.
A 67-run stand between Allaway and Butcher lifted the visitors to 143 before Alex Stogdon took the final wicket.
Following a rain interruption, Ventnor were set a revised target of 127 from 37 overs. Briggs and Cox then put on a fine stand of 80, with Cox making 57 and Briggs adding 38.
Stogdon finished unbeaten on 15 to see Ventnor to a 4-wicket win.
Seconds edge thriller in Hampshire
Jack Powell’s late hitting helped Ventnor’s 2nd team clinch a dramatic rain-affected victory with just 1 ball remaining.
Ventnor’s 2nd team, led by Ben Davies for a 4th season, also began with victory after a rain-affected thriller at Easton & Martyr Worthy in Hampshire League Division 2B.
Franklin struck 128 in the hosts’ total of 256-5 from 45 overs before heavy rain left Ventnor chasing a revised 161 from 20 overs.
Martin Blackman made 34 at the top of the order before Ben Attrill, Jack Winterbottom and Toby Noyes added useful middle-order runs.
Jack Powell then cracked 7 boundaries in a 23-ball 38, before Thomas Southcott finished 23 not out and Davies 3 not out to seal victory with 1 ball remaining.
Rain ruins Island League fixtures
Ventnor’s 3rd and 4th team fixtures were both abandoned because of heavy rain, despite half-centuries for Ben Fry and George Speller.
In the Island League, Ventnor’s 3rd and 4th team matches against Shanklin II and Northwood II were both abandoned because of heavy rain.
Young Ben Fry struck an unbeaten 74 for Ventnor III at Westhill, with George Speller also hitting 71 in the same match.
