Marksman Spencer produces sublime innings as Hungerford beat Medstead
Spencer Annetts scored a sublime 191 not-out as Hungerford maintained their unbeaten start to their Division 4 North campaign thanks to a crushing 168-run win over Medstead.
Captain Billy Tulloch won the toss and elected to bat and Annettts soon set about a devastating display of batting, smashing 22 fours and 10 sixes in a run-making exhibition that saw him score 191 from 123 balls as he carried his bat.
Just when Medstead thought it couldn’t get any worse, there were runs too for Tulloch, who needed just 37 balls to score a quickfire 45, and Al Masbero, who finished with a strike rate of 203 in an unbeaten innings of 61 as the visitors posted a monumental 393/4 from their 45 overs.
Understandably, Hungerford were in confident mood at the interval but there were at least some nerves in the camp after Tulloch was told Medstead had chased down a total of the same size before.
That said, it was always going to be an uphill task for the hosts and it was made even harder thanks to some accurate bowling from Hungerford, with Jon Hack (3-40) removing three of the top four batters before Robert Grimmond (3-35) and Oliver Tulloch (2-47) made mincemeat of the middler order and Jasper Rich (2-55) terrorised the tail.
Perhaps the most crucial wicket went to Oliver Tulloch who removed Matthew Rawlings with his first ball when the opener looked in excellent nick.
Medstead were eventually all-out for 225 as Hungerford maintained top spot in the league table.
It was all about the bowlers for the second team, who secured a narrow two-wicket triumph over Old Tauntonians and Romsey 4th in Division 6 North West.
Having won the toss and opted to bat, Old Tauntonians rather limped to 155/6 from their 40 overs.
Richard Brooks (2-14) was the pick of the bowlers while three members of the Tulloch family - Poppy, Jemima and Freddie - all had a bowl, with Poppy picking up a crucial wicket.
In response, openers Ed James (43) and Richard Brooks (21) put on 76 for the first wicket while Poppy Tulloch was having a fine game and smashed 39 at three as the home side made a solid start.
As it turned out, the runs of the top three proved vital as none of the next five batters reached double figures as wickets started to tumble.
Jemima Tulloch, aged just 14, hit a glorious cover drive for four which prompted the visitors to reintroduce the pace of their opening bowlers and Hungerford soon found themselves eight down with both the Tulloch sisters back in the pavilion.
However there were no further alarms as Oscar Fry, who hit the winning runs for the third time in three weeks, and the experience of Paul McDowell helped Hungerford over the line with two wickets and five balls in hand.
