New Milton CC 1st XI vs Waterlooville CC 1st XI
Southern Premier Cricket League, Division 2 – Fernhill Sports Ground
Result: New Milton won by 56 runs
New Milton made it back-to-back strong performances at Fernhill with a hard-earned 56-run win over Waterlooville, in a match that had a bit of everything—early wickets, a gritty rebuild, and a clinical bowling effort to finish things off.
After losing the toss and being asked to bat, New Milton’s innings got off to a shaky start. At 18 for 3 and then 28 for 4, things were looking a little precarious. Waterlooville’s Dylan Youngs (3 for 28) was right on the money early on, removing the top order and keeping things tight.
Enter Teddy Golding and skipper Ed Bartlett. Golding played positively for his 29, helping steady the ship, but it was Bartlett who really anchored things from there. Calm, patient, and very much leading from the front, he crafted a composed 55 not out off 123 balls. It wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly what his side needed.
Bartlett found a key ally in Ed Denham, and together the pair added a crucial 63-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Denham’s 32 (including a six) gave the innings some much-needed momentum, nudging New Milton towards respectability. A late cameo from Lee Beck (18) added a few handy runs as the hosts closed on 168 for 9 from their 50 overs—far from imposing, but certainly competitive given the early trouble.
Waterlooville’s chase started in equally chaotic fashion—and if anything, they fared worse. Reduced to 11 for 3 in the blink of an eye thanks to a sharp opening spell from Lee Beck (3 for 16), the visitors were immediately on the back foot.
Curtis Dixon (35) dug in to try and repair the damage, and alongside Jon Hudson (22), he put together a 57-run stand that briefly gave Waterlooville hope. The pair applied themselves well, nudging the score past 70 and hinting at a possible recovery.
But just as the game began to drift, New Milton tightened their grip. Cam Golding produced a superb spell, picking up 4 for 16, breaking the Dixon-Hudson partnership and then ripping through the middle and lower order. His mix of accuracy and variation proved too much for Waterlooville’s batters.
From 76 for 4, the innings gradually unravelled. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and despite a quick 18 from Haydn Knight, there was no late twist. Waterlooville were eventually bowled out for 112 in 34.4 overs, falling well short of the target.
In the end, it was a classic team performance from New Milton. Bartlett’s measured innings gave them something to bowl at, and the bowlers did the rest—Beck setting the tone early, and Golding finishing the job in style.
A satisfying win for New Milton, built on resilience with the bat and discipline with the ball—exactly the kind of performance that keeps a season moving in the right direction.