Portsmouth 3rds, Kerala 2nds and Fareham & Crofton 2nds carry on winning – Hampshire Cricket League Division 4 South

Kerala won by 106 runs at home to fellow Portsea Island club Portsmouth & Southsea 3rds, Portsmouth triumphed by 56 runs against Trojans 2nds and Fareham & Crofton overcame Steep 2nds by eight wickets.

Three players made half-centuries for Kerala as they racked up 256-4 from their 45 overs after choosing to bat.

Karthik Muthuraman top-scored with 59 at the top of the order, while Robin Thomas was 50 not out and Nimal Valsan was unbeaten on 53.

Rakesh Janardhanan, who opened with Muthuraman, added 42 and the total was swelled by 48 extras, including 33 wides. Harrison Etherington took 2-34 for P & S.

The visitors were all out for 150 in 36 overs in reply as Valsan and Elson George picked up three wickets each.

Five P & S batters reached double figures, but none were able to make the big score that was required. Mukul Daga led the way with 30.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth posted 203 all out in 42 overs after being asked to bat by visitors Trojans.

The top three – Salman Aasif (38), James Boorah (41) and Joseph Stretton (24) – scored more than half the runs between them, while there were useful contributions lower down the order from Lewis Ndahiro (33) and wicket-keeper Archie Simmons (20).

Boorah then capped a splendid individual performance by claiming 5-24 from 7.2 overs to help dismiss Trojans for 147 in 34.2 overs, despite 68 from opener Touqeer Ahmed.

Fareham continued their strong start, bowling out visitors Steep for 131 in 40.4 overs before knocking off the runs in 32.1 for the loss of just two wickets.

Steep started well enough after choosing to bat, reaching 43-0 before the innings fell away rather rapidly as James Hawley picked up 3-11 from 6.4 overs and Gary West 3-25. Sean Noble top-scored with 39 at the top of the order.

Fareham were 30-2 at one stage in reply, but an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 103 between Ryan Fitsell (58 not out) and Roy Townson (46 not out) guided them home comfortably.

There was a rare tied game between Southampton Travellers and Fair Oak 3rds.

Fair Oak posted 178-9 from their 45 overs having opted to take first knock and the Travellers ended their reply on 178-8, despite opener Ramnik Behar making 71 and 60 from No 3 Uzair Khan.