Fair Oak cruised into the semi-finals of the Southern League Twenty20 Plate with a convincing home win over local rivals Trojans on Sunday afternoon.

Fair Oak CC President John Perry oversaw the club’s junior competitions and presentations in the morning, leaving the way clear for the T20 match at 2pm. Oaks batted well, Matt White cracking 64 off 45 balls and Joe McNeeney 56 not out off 46 in an impressive total of 166 for 5. Trojans’ best bowling stats came from Lewis Maton and Dan Tavender, who took two wickets each.

Trojans, needing more than eight an over, never really got to grips with the run chase. They finished on 101 for 9, only Maton showing up well with the bat by making 30. Oaks had the luxury of using some part-time bowlers, and regular 2nd XI keeper Dan Wheble caught the eye by spinning his way to 3 for 24. Kannan Manoj took 2 for 12. 

On Saturday Fair Oak I were denied a much-needed Southern Premier Division 2 victory at Gosport Borough when persistent rain put an end to a run chase that looked well within their grasp.

Oaks’ bowlers had excelled, particularly their spinners. Rhys Oxley took the new ball, and caught-and-bowled Ollie Lunt off the first ball of the match.  Oxley’s ten overs yielded just 18 runs. Five more batters were to fall to spin, Monty McKenzie taking the honours with 4 for 24. Ephraim Royle scored 29 and Jacob Harris 34 as Gosport staged a partial recovery from 1 for 2 to 89 for 6. But a couple of wickets from regular new-ball paceman Ben Smith ended the Borough’s resistance at 119 all out in the 46th over, only Gavin King (18no) and Alex Adams (14) reaching double figures.

A target of 120 in 50 overs looked on paper a cake-walk, but despite a good start the weather had the last word. Oaks lost the in-form Harry Reed to Ollie Creal at 44 for 1. But Henry Nicholls, unbeaten on 35, looked to be steering the visitors towards the finishing line when the rains came.  Fair Oak had reached 61 for 1 after 14.4 overs when the match was terminated. Unfortunately, they had not batted long enough for a Duckworth-Lewis result to be achieved.

In Hampshire League Division 2, Fair Oak II’s home game against Easton & Martyr Worthy was also abandoned, with the visiting side in the stronger position. Easton racked up a highly impressive 259 all out in the 45th over, the major contributions coming from 17-year-old Olly Boulton (63), Nick Boulton (48), big-hitting Adam Kite (46) and Aaron Burton (35). 

Kannan Manoj and Jake Salmon bagged two wickets apiece, but Fair Oak’s star was Nick Bass. The new-ball bowler has been short of wickets of late, but quintupled his season's tally with four for 41 and will be on a hat-trick next time he bowls.  Oaks will be less happy with the 28 they gave away in wides.

Sadly, rain was already falling at the break, and it continued long enough to rule out any prospect of a resumption.