St Cross Symondians are off to a flier with an ECB Royal London Cup seven-wicket win over Bedminster following hard on the heels of a successful opening defence of the Southern Premier League title at Lymington.
Their reward for an impressive victory over Bristol-based Bedminster is a home tie against Taunton Deane in the west group semi-finals of the ECB national club championship at the Green Jackets Ground on Sunday week, May 28.
They dismissed the West of England Premier League club for 188 and polished off the target with nine overs to spare, Wilf La Fontaine Jackson hitting 70 and Charlie Mumford an unbeaten 57.
Mumford also hit a half-century – as did Hampshire’s Felix Organ – in the 78-run SPL win at Lymington, which launched the Premier championship defence in perfect style.
The league and cup double success has put St Cross in a confident mood ahead of Saturday’s Premier Division meet-up with South Wilts – frequently a high quality affair – at the Green Jackets, 12.30pm.
Appearing well set at 83-1, Bedminster lost four wickets for 21 runs (to 104-5) before rallying to 151 but then collapsing again, the last five wickets falling for 37 runs.
Jack Bransgrove, Felix Organ, Charlie Gwynn and Simon Woodruff took two wickets each.
St Cross lost Organ cheaply, but La Fontaine Jackson soon took control, the teenager – fresh from scoring a match winning 92 not out against Corsham the previous week – clearing the boundary rope on three separate occasions.
Bransgrove (18) departed at 73-1, but Mumford kept the scoreboard ticking and by drinks St Cross were well ahead of the game at 121-2.
Mumford took 15 runs off the 23rd over before La Fontaine Jackson departed (at 140-2) for a splendidly struck 70, which contained eight fours in addition to his three sixes.
St Cross were almost home and dry by then, leaving Charlie Gwynn (22 not out) to take 12 runs off the 29th over before Mumford brought up his half-century with two match clinching boundaries. It was an impressive performance by the Winchester side.
Apart from when they lost Jack Bransgrove in the second over, St Cross largely called the tune against Lymington at the Sports Ground.
Joe Lewis made 35 and both Organ (50) and Mumford (59) before Gwynn (23) and Simon Woodruff (31) chipped in to take St Cross to 238-9, veteran Asad Abbas taking 3-31 on Lymington debut.
Ben Rogers (21) and Mo Abbas (20) provided Lymington with a 48-run launch pad before Durham University all-rounder Michael Booth (3-11) accounted for both openers and then removed Dan Cox.
His six-over spell left Lymington 61-4 and Terry Crabb make 61 not out and provide the innings with some stability.
Organ weighed in with 3-31 as Lymington, minus influential Northants seamer Gareth Berg, stumbled to 160 all out and an 80-run defeat.
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