Gwent travelled down to Southampton this weekend to take on a strong Hampshire team who having come down from the premier league at the end of last season, were looking to cement a return to the top flight.
After a 27-9 win over Northamptonshire last month, Hampshire were on a high. Gwent on the other hand were looking for their first win of the season after losing the first 2 games of the season.
Saturday morning after a precarious journey through the wild weather, the ladies B sides took to the stage.
Every game could have gone either way and there was nothing to separate the sides as they ended with a 3-3 draw. Jo Rolls with the highest average for the home side while Gwent’s Mair Jones took lady of the match with a career best of 20.31.
On to the mens B and Hampshire had awoken. They rolled off the first 4 games to take a strong lead. Mike Heard stopped their run before Andy Mitchell added a 5th point for the home side.
At the halfway point Hampshire men led 5-1.
Up first in the second half for Gwent was debutant Dean Lee. He took leg 1 with a shanghai 120 and followed with a 92 out in leg 2. Maark Bower pulled a leg back but the next 2 legs went to the Gwent man who missed D15 in the final leg for a 150 out. He tidied up and took a 4-1 win.
Gwent men managed to take another 3 points but with Aaron Turner taking Hampshires 7th point they would finish the day in the lead.
Mike West (25.46) took the highest average for the home side while Gwents Josh Timothy took man of the match by just 0.02 with a 25.48.
Hampshire 10 – 8 Gwent
Sunday morning and the A sides were ready for battle.
Yazmine Ruck-Havard fresh of the plane from Gibraltar where she finished in the semi-finals of the world youth championship took the first point of the day before Sue Power and Tracy North put the home side ahead. Amanda Rosser took game 4 with a lady of the weekend performance of 20.58.
Young Ella Trimm took on England international star Laura Turner and pushed her hard with Laura taking 3 very close legs.
Shannon Chappell who returned to the side last month following a break turned up the pressure on Jane Monaghan and levelled things up with the score ending 3-3.
Overall score Hampshire 13 – 11 Gwent.
The mens A sides were a complete opposite of yesterdays mens games as Gwent ran away to a 3 point lead. Hampshire thought they had stopped the run when David Moule put in a 29.04 average to beat Paul Higgins. Tyler mason started another run of 3 points for Gwent to move them to 17 points.
Hampshire star player Chas Barstow put in a great performance to beat Connor Hopkins with a 30.30 average. This was to be the last of Hampshires points though as the remaining 4 games went to the visitors, starting with Stephen Cake’s man of the weekend performance with a 31.31 average. Gwent manager Nick Kenny took the 19th point and Gwent had completed the comeback to take a victory. Mike Fleet and Geraint Harbon finished the day off for Gwent with another 2 points.
Final score Hampshire 15 – 21 Gwent
Gwent had started the weekend in bottom place but jump up to 8th while Hampshire who were in 3rd, moved up despite the loss due to West Midlands match against Cambridgeshire being postponed until May 2026.