SPCL1 Week17 - Hibberd fuels Calmore survival hopes

Don't write us off just yet ! That's the message from Calmore Sports after a crushing 162-run win over Portsmouth, which keeps the club's prospects of avoiding the drop very much alive.

Favourites to go down in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League after only one win all summer, Calmore produced a stunning performance - with Hampshire hopeful James Hibberd leading the way.

He wrecked Portsmouth's top order with a 4-20 blast after top scoring in Calmore's towering 274-7.

Calmore's win has cut Portsmouth's advantage at the bottom to ten points - a situation that could be overturned next weekend if Hibberd's side win at Andover and Portsmouth are beaten by Havant.

"If only we'd played like that all summer," sighed Calmore captain Tom Pegler. "We brought a couple of the older, more experienced players back like Gregg Lewis and Clive Surry, and it made all the difference.

"The team spirit was terrific - as was our overall performance," he added.

Calmore scored at a rapid rate throughout their innings, with Hibberd (61) and Lewis (33) putting on 90 before Paul Cass (58) and Charlie Freestone (29) took the total on to 185-5.

Pete Hayward (3-38) made breakthroughs but had finished his ten-over stint by the time Surry unleashed 43 not out to sweep Calmore to 274-7.

Fired up, Hibberd ripped through Portsmouth's top order, whipping out Ben Thane, Dean Oliffe, Matt Keech (second ball) and Chris Moon to leave the visitors rocking at 20-5.

Lee Savident (39) and Hayward (28) provided long overdue resistance, but two wicket spells by Freestone (2-24) and John Wall (2-21) reduced Portsmouth to 112 all out.