by Mike Vimpany

GEOFF Dods and Joe Collings-Wells made fifty-plus scores and Dan Stancliffe celebrated a five-wicket haul as Burridge beat a young and inexperienced Hampshire Academy side by 24 runs on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.

Dods, just back after taking his own Cape Town side into South Africa’s prestigious national championship finals, came in at 56-2 and was seventh out at 215.

His 72, along with a typically breezy 66 from Collings-Wells, pictured, provided the backbone of a Burridge total of 235-8 Locum Academy skipper Joe Weatherley – the injured Brad Taylor was due to have led the Ageas Bowl hopefuls this season – constantly rotated his eight-man attack.

“It’s never easy when some of the side are so young you have to be mindful of their individual bowling limitations as regards the number of overs they can bowl etc.

“It certainly kept my brain ticking,” Weatherley said.

The Academy side, five of whom are due to sit GCSE examinations shortly, would have been content to restrict Burridge to 235-8, having been 195-4 at one point.

The Hampshire reply began promisingly, with South Wilts prospect Miles Kantolinna (30) and Ben Duggan (26) providing a half-century start.

But then things began to go awry.

Kantolinna felt faint and retired unwell around the time Stancliffe bagged Duggan and Weatherley in the space of three balls.

It means the Academy having to re-boot their reply, which Josh McCoy (30) and KES student Patrick Holly did with some credit.

Holly (51 not out) went on to make a maiden SPL fifty, adding a handy 42 with 14-year old Old Netley & Highfield prospect Tom South (18), who was among the victims of Stancliffe, whose three-wicket second ball spell ended with a 5-31 return.

“To lose by only 24 runs wasn’t a bad effort seeing the inexperience of our team,” Weatherly added.