Petersfield Cricket Club’s second team earned a comprehensive 260-run victory against Purbrook’s third team in Division 5 South East of the Hampshire Cricket League.

The away game was actually played at Penns Place – Petersfield’s second ground – as Purbrook had been let down by their usual pitch provider.

Petersfield skipper Steve Gibson called correctly and elected to bat first.

Purbrook started the game with nine players, but after ten overs two more players arrived. By then, openers James Longland (39) and Dave Squires (23) had taken advantage of the gaps in the field, with Longland especially taking advantage of some too full bowling from Josh Brown (three for 60 from eight overs).

Longland was clean bowled playing a slog sweep in what became a familiar form of dismissal in the afternoon.

Bharat Katta – on his competitive debut for the club – came out and immediately timed the ball with a couple of beautiful square cuts.

Squires was then bowled by Owen Lloyd (two for 34) playing the same shot as Longland with the score on 93.

Skipper Gibson, who scored 31 in last week’s defeat, joined Katta in the middle, and the pair put on 164 for the third wicket as they both made half-centuries in very good time, picking the gaps and hitting the boundaries that were on offer.

Gibson was out for 65, bowled by Brown playing a slog sweep with the score on 257 as he tried to push the score on.

Katta carried on towards his century, hitting ten fours and four sixes to finish with a superb 104 not out and make his debut one to remember for himself and the spectators looking on.

Rich Stephens (one) and Tom Stratford-Tuke (seven) came and went cheaply as Petersfield finished their 40 overs on 284 for five.

Purbrook started their reply with Roy Marsh (one) and skipper Same Dolley (ten) opening the batting. Some accurate and threatening bowling from openers Gibson (one for nine from six overs) and young Oscar Walker (three for eight off six overs) soon put Purbrook on the back foot.

Walker removed Marsh and Cerys Lloyd – both caught at backward point by Suraj Sashidharan – in the fifth over.

Gibson clean bowled his opposite number to leave Purbrook 17 for four, with their target looking a long way off – especially as two of their players had to leave early because of family commitments.

First change bowlers Rob Allerston (one for six off four overs) and Squires (three for one) kept things tight and took the next four wickets, conceding only seven runs in that time.

Allerston clean bowled Josh Flood, before Squires had R Lloyd (two) caught at mid-wicket by Katta. Squires then had Brown stumped by keeper Longland before clean bowling Josh Hunter first ball as the youngster missed a full ball.

Purbrook were bowled out for just 24 in the 20th over as Petersfield earned an emphatic victory.