Havant foiled by Hampshire Academy’s last-wicket pair after George Metzger falls just short of second Southern Premier League century
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No 10 Louis Prichard faced two overs from Richard Hindley, failing to score a run but crucially not being dismissed.
At the other end, coach James Tomlinson - on his first league bat of 2022 - failed to score off the eight deliveries he faced after Ethan Baker had been caught and bowled by Matty Hayward off the fourth ball of the 53rd over.
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Hide AdThat meant the Academy closed on 244-9 off 56 overs, finishing with 16 points to Havant’s 11 due their superior scoring rate. The hosts had posted 270-8 off 64 overs.
The Academy reply had began badly, Richard Jerry (2-36) dismissed both openers - Tom Cheater and Charlie Mumford - for ducks.
Jude Wright, a student at Churcher’s College in Petersfield, led the fightback, hitting 12 fours and two sixes in a career best 120 off 123 balls. The former Alton all-rounder’s previous two hundreds had both been for Hampshire youth - one at under-14 level, the other for the under-18s.
Skipper Joe Eckland (43) and Ethan Martin (36) also impressed for the Academy, while teenager Hayward (3-66) was Havant’s leading wicket-taker.
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Hide AdWicket-keeper George Metzger had earlier come within four runs of making his second SPL century.
Coming in at 94-4, the former Hampshire Academy player shared a fifth wicket stand of 75 with Harry Gadd (26) and a sixth wicket stand of 80 with Hindley (36).
Metzer - whose only other SPL ton was 109 for the Academy against New Milton five years ago - struck 11 fours in his 92-ball innings before he was bowled by Archie Fairfax-Ross.
It was his second highest score for Havant, beaten only by 104 in a pre-season friendly with Chichester last year.