Ventnor Blog

VENTNOR HAMMER PURBROOK IN OPENING VICTORY
Ventnor began their latest defence of the Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 title with a 117 run thumping of Purbrook on Saturday.

The Islanders, aiming for a unique fifth successive championship, may have lost Birchall, Shutte, Lloyd and Friend from last year’s side and Matt Compton and Martin Blackman through injury from Saturday’s team, but they still proved far too strong for the side from Portsdown Hill.
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It’s that time of year again and each week, we’ll be brining you news from the Ventnor Cricket Club courtesy of Graeme Burnett. Ed

Ventnor progressed to the second round of the IW Senior Cup in unsatisfactory fashion on Saturday after opponents GKN were unable to raise a side.

A hastily re-scheduled fixture saw Indian Gymkhana visit Steephill for a Twenty 20 match. Neil Westhorpe (40) and Ian Hilsum (43) top scored in the home team’s total of 164-1 with the visitors restricted to 76-7 in reply.
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SIXES SUCCESS FOR VENTNOR
Ventnor retained the John Hilson Memorial Trophy after a 15 run win over Ryde in the final of the Isle of Wight Cricket Board’s six a side competition on Sunday.

Batting first, Ventnor totalled 69-3 and then restricted their opponents to 54-5. The Steephill club defeated old rivals Shanklin in the semi final.
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THIRD TEAM END HARWOOD’S LEAGUE CAMPAIGN WITH A 383 RUN WIN!
Ventnor’s third team recorded one of the highest totals in the history of Island League cricket against Ryde Cavaliers II at Smallbrook on Saturday. The Steephill youngsters smashed an extraordinary 428-2 with personal bests from David Beven who achieved the rare distinction of a double hundred (203 not out) and Reuben Friend who hit a maiden century (101no). The shell shocked home team were dismissed for just 45 as Ventnor won by a massive 383 runs. Malcolm White took 4-6 for the visitors.
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CHAMPIONS AGAIN! VENTNOR CLINCH FOURTH SUCCESSIVE LEAGUE TITLE
Ventnor are the Champions of Division 2 of the Southern Electric Premier League for the fourth successive season.

Mark Whyte’s all conquering side needed 8 points to clinch the title but their 19 point haul from a five wicket win at Purbrook meant disappointment for Rowledge, whose victory at Lymington was not enough.
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FINE ALL ROUND DISPLAY BRINGS TITLE CLOSER
Ventnor are eight points away from a fourth successive Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 title after a superb 108 run victory over Rowledge on Saturday. This emphatic win over their nearest challengers saw Mark Whyte’s side return to the top of the table and in pole position to lift the championship once again. Ventnor’s final match takes them to Purbrook on Saturday while Rowledge face an awkward finale at Lymington, who put paid to Andover’s title hopes last weekend.
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The miserable weather on Saturday wrecked the cricket programme.

At Steephill in the Southern Electric Premier League division 2 match with Burridge, Ventnor reached 145-3 before rain forced an abandonment, Alex Lloyd top scoring with 60, Neil Westhorpe 35 and Ian Hilsum 31. Their visit to Rowledge on Saturday in the first v second clash will almost certainly decide the championship with just two weeks of the season remaining. Matt Compton and John Birchall return to a Ventnor side which know a win over their Surrey border rivals will take them back to the top of the table.

The second and third teams suffered a similar fate as one of the worst summers since weather records began continued to take it’s toll.

(Couldn’t get this up last week, but better late than never, eh! Sounded like a brilliant day - well done to everyone on the Ventnor side. Sorry to have missed it. Ed)

TALE OF THE UNEXPECTED AS VENTNOR SHOCK LASHINGS!
A record breaking crowd of nearly 1,300 crammed into Steephill on Sunday, expecting to see a feast of runs as the superstars of Lashings World XI came to town. They left Ventnor’s unique bowl shaped ground having witnessed an extraordinary afternoon’s cricket with the local club inflicting a shock five wicket defeat on Richie Richardson’s side.
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COMPTON THE HERO AS VENTNOR WIN AGAIN
Ventnor maintained pole position in the Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 with a comprehensive 102 run win at Liphook & Ripsley on Saturday.

This excellent victory nudges the Islanders a little further from nearest challengers Rowledge, whose home match fell victim to the weather.

Third placed Andover won to maintain their push towards the top, making Ventnor’s visit to London Road on Saturday week and the clash with Rowledge a fortnight later potentially decisive affairs.
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FREESTON BLAST LEADS VENTNOR TO EMPHATIC WIN
Charlie Freeston led Ventnor to a nine wicket win over Tichborne Park in Saturday’s Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 clash at Steephill. The pace man took a League best 6-31 as the visitors slipped to 103 all out inside 25 overs, then watched as his side knocked off the runs to extend their lead at the top to six points.
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VENTNOR MARCH ON WITH ANOTHER VICTORY
Ventnor clinched their eighth win in nine games after a convincing seven wicket victory over struggling Trojans at Stoneham Lane on Saturday.

Their 21 point haul edges them a little further ahead of second placed Rowledge, who claimed 18 points from a one wicket success at Havant. Andover are handily placed in third spot after defeating Burridge and with eight matches remaining, the destination of the Southern Electric Premier League division 2 title will almost certainly rest on the outcome of Ventnor’s away clashes with their north Hampshire rivals next month.
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WEATHER MEANS ANOTHER BLANK SATURDAY FOR VENTNOR
The weekend sunshine failed to save Ventnor’s Southern Electric Premier League match on Saturday. The New Forest Club’s saturated square was declared unfit for play following a Friday afternoon pitch inspection by one of the League’s panel umpires.

This latest postponement meant a second successive blank Saturday for the Islanders while nearest challengers Rowledge took the opportunity to narrow the gap at the top with a nine wicket victory over Tichborne Park. Mark Whyte’s side will be hoping for better luck when they visit Trojans this weekend.
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VENTNOR BACK AT THE TOP!
Triple Champions Ventnor returned to the top of Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 after a tense 22 run win over previously unbeaten league leaders Rowledge at Steephill on Saturday.

Mark Whyte’s side made the most of the ‘Ventnor weather’ to clinch an important victory on a day when the majority of Southern and Hampshire League cricket fell victim to torrential rain.

For the second week running, Ryan Shutte played a major part in his side’s success but this time with ball rather than bat. The South African all-rounder took a Ventnor best 7-38 but the win was a real team effort with crucial contributions throughout the side, achieved without the influence of pace man Andy Whyte whose achilles tendon injury restricted him to just one over.
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SHUTTE THE STAR IN VICTORY AT BURRIDGE
Ventnor retained second place in division two of the Southern Electric Premier League after a thumping eight wicket win at Burridge last weekend. This latest victory, inspired by Ryan Shutte, sets up an intriguing clash at Steephill on Saturday with unbeaten league leaders Rowledge.

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VENTNOR BOUNCE BACK TO WIN THRILLER AT STEEPHILL
A thrilling finish at Steephill saw Ventnor clinch a dramatic four run victory over Andover in the Southern Electric Premier League on Saturday.

The Division 2 League leaders required five runs to win from the final two deliveries but in a frantic finish, Chris Hadfield was run out off the penultimate delivery by Andy Whyte attempting a single off the Ventnor pace bowler. This hard earned success, coming a week after defeat at Havant, lifts Mark Whyte’s side into second place behind new leaders Rowledge who visit Steephill on Saturday week.
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The international stars of Lashings will provide another great day of cricketing entertainment when they return to Ventnor on Sunday 12 August.

Richie Richardson’s side, regarded as the world’s most famous club cricket team, regard the match at Steephill as one of the highlights of their season, and will surely attract another 1,000 plus crowd to Ventnor’s unique ground.

Lashings provisional squad:
Richie Richardson, Vasbert Drakes, Alvin Kallicharran, Tino Best (West Indies) Henry Olonga (Zimbabwe) Chris Harris Chris Cairns (New Zealand)

Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka) Nantie Hayward Hashim Amla (South Africa)

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Ventnor’s four match unbeaten run in Southern Electric Premier 2 came to an abrupt end on Saturday when they were beaten by six wickets at Havant. The home club’s Havant Park is becoming something of a bogey ground for the Islanders who have now tasted defeat in three of their last four visits.

This latest reverse saw them slip to third place in the table behind Andover and Rowledge who retained their unbeaten records after convincing wins on Saturday. Mark Whyte’s side will now look to bounce back against Roger Miller’s table topping Andover side at Steephill on Saturday.

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We’re always on the lookout for Ventnor success stories and the Ventnor CC is certainly one that meets that criteria week after week. They are a storming success.

Here’s her first report of the latest activities.
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Throw your caps in the air to celebrate the Ventnor under-16’s team, who not only won the NatWest Under-16 indoor cricket league, but also went on to win championship of the same at the Rose Bowl back on Sunday 1st April (we didn’t get to hear about it at the time, see below).

Now, what we know about cricket can be written on the top corner of a postage stamp, but the write-up on this site tells us that Ventnor “held their nerve in a thrilling last-ball semi-final win over Havant, whose set an imposing 150-run target.”

The score in the finals against New Forest were

Ventnor 129-4 (Woodhouse 22, Briggs 19) New Forest 118-5 (Khan 32, Beddoes 24, Briggs 2-28). Ventnor won by 11 runs.

Another reason to be proud of Ventnor.

(We’ve just noticed this, after reading a comment on the Forum and doing a search. Any future success the team has, we’d be happy to put up on the blog too, we just need someone to tell us about it!)

Images courtesy of play-cricket.com