Off the pitch, they can be friendly business rivals – but on the bone-dry turf there was little room for sentiment.
The fiercely-contested annual cricket match took place between members of Portsmouth Property Association (PPA) and Southampton Property Association (SPA).
Both associations represent hundreds of businessmen and women involved in residential and commercial property across the Solent region.
In a tense finish, PPA wrested the engraved silver trophy back from the SPA by one wicket in the 20-overs clash at St Helens Fields, Southsea.
Match organiser Andrew Prismall, Managing Director at HW Conveyancing Searches, said: “Having won the toss, SPA went into bat first and left the PPA chasing 90 for five in the heat.
“The odds were stacked against the PPA but the last batting pair, comprising of Tom Foster and 11th man Harnish Patel, who hadn’t played since school, somehow snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. With 18 runs needed, Tom thankfully rattled the boundaries.
“Hats off to the PPA’s Dave Greetham for getting us off to a cracking start – he had to retire after hitting the 30-run maximum.”
Members of the PPA team included Nigel Kirkby of The Martin Ralph Group, Andy Hellier of Hellier Langston, Matthew Shaw of Banco Santander, Matthew Walton of Woodgate and Co, Steve Pozerskis of Bruton Knowles, Nigel Strutt of ADN Financial Solutions, Harnish Patel of Vail Williams, Dave Greetham of Gleeds and Tom Foster of Lewis Brownlee.
Members of the SPA team include Andy Gibbs of Charters Commercial, Joe Walker of Vail Williams, Jonathan Manhire of JLL, Kevin Parish of Smith & Williamson, Max Smeeth and Paul Moore of Ridge and Partners, Steve Fahy of Working Capital Specialists, Stuart Taylor of Duologi, Lenny Dalby of Blake Morgan and Simon Campbell.
