Liphook secured another draw on Saturday, but will again reflect on what might have been.

They had fellow strugglers Calmore Sports in all sorts of trouble after asking them to bat first at Ripsley Park.

The pace bowlers were assisted by early moisture in the wicket and the visitors tumbled to 29-4 and then 57-5 against Chris Wright, Glen Read and Matt Eaton. At lunch, they had struggled to 81-5.

However, the home bowlers could not rediscover their earlier form and Tom Pegler played a wonderful captain's innings to rescue the situation.

He received useful support from Paul Cass in a stand of 115 for the sixth wicket.

With the score on 193, Pegler was run out for exactly 100. John Wall (41 not out) marshalled the tail and the innings closed on 235-8 from 66 overs. Read finished with 3 for 49.

Liphook's reply began badly, with Wright run out in the first over, and once again the innings centred on a solid effort from Alastair Gray. He made 58 and was involved in partnerships of 52 with Neil Randall and 84 with Michael Smyth.

Gray was eventually fourth man out with the score on 140 as he tried to up the run-rate.

Jeremy Bulled and Nick Gay added 53 before both were caught and bowled with the score on 193, as Liphook went for the win.

The loss of Read and Duncan Berry in quick succession ended any hopes of victory and Liphook finished on 209-8 from 54 overs.

With other results going their way, this was a useful eight points for Liphook. But they will rue letting the visitors off the hook. It was also disappointing that five of Liphook's top six reached 20, yet no-one went on to make a match-winning score.

calmore sports

N Boston c and b Read 7

C Surrey c Randall b Wright 2

J Good b Wright 9

T Pegler run out 100

J Hibberd c Gay b Eaton 5

J Rose c Tyler b Eaton 8

P Cass c Bulled b Read 31

J Wall not out 40

M Archer Ibw Read 1

M Metcalfe not out 12

Extras 20

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Total (for 8 wkts) 235

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Bowling: C Wright 2-61, G Read 3-49, M Eaton 2-25.

liphook

A Gray b Hibberd 58

C Wright run out 0

N Randall c Surrey b Bothma 23

M Smyth b Metcalfe 35

J Bulled c and b Hibberd 23

N Gay c and b Bothma 27

G Read run out 3

D Berry b Hibberd 7

G Tyler not out 1

A Crawford not out 0

Extras 32

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Total (for 8 wkts) 209

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Bowling: C Bothma 2-50, J Hibberd 3-74, M Metcalfe 1-22.