Table-topping Portsmouth & Southsea maintain winning run in Southern Premier Division – Gosport Borough triumph but Purbrook stay bottom after another defeat

Bringing himself into the attack as third change, Saunders bagged four of the last five wickets to fall as Wilts wilted from 80-4 to 102 all out.

He ended with 4-23 as P & S completed a 68-run victory that sees them 10 points clear of Langley Manor and Sway at the top of the fourth tier table.

P & S had been reduced to 99-6 after Saunders had chosen to bat in Salisbury. But No7 Maxwell Goddard (30) and No 9 Dean Lee (25 not out) raised the total to 170.

Openers Shaun Briggs and Matt Benfield both hit 26 but Jack Davies - after scores of 112 not out, 101 not out, 50 not out, 73 not out and 91 not out in a row - was dismissed for just eight. As a result, he now averages just 235.5 in league, friendly and cup action this year!

Jubin Karippai struck a half-century as Gosport chased over 200 to beat Paultons.

Coming in at No 6 with Borough 124-2 chasing 216 for victory, the former Kerala player hit seven fours and three sixes in a 45-ball 58.

He was the dominant partner in an 85-run stand for the fifth wicket with Scott Taylor (47 not out) as Gosport won by five wickets with seven overs to spare.

Karippai is certainly no slouch with the bat, having scored 100 for Kerala - batting at No 3 - in the third tier of the Hampshire League last summer.

St Lucian bowler Tyrel Chicot had earlier removed three of the Paultons top four, but his wickets came at a cost - finishing with 3-69 off 10 overs.

Opener Paul Longland and No 7 Scott Dawes both struck 50 as the hosts recovered form 91-4 to post 215-8.

George Harradine produced the standout batting performance as Purbrook suffered a fourth successive league defeat.

Coming in at No 6, he struck 70 - Sean Figgins (30) was next highest - as Purbrook were dismissed for 152 by Basingstoke & North Hants 2nds.

Openers George Hamson (0) and Sameen Mahboob (3) had been dismissed cheaply by Chris Chandler (3-21) with No 4 Brad Mengham also out for a duck.

Purbrook’s hopes of climbing off the bottom of the table were ended once Callum Coombs (56) and Chris Froud (53) had added 82 for the second Basingstoke wicket, the hosts eventually winning by six wickets.

Havant 2nds were on the receiving end of another Jack Budd run spree as they suffered a 38-run loss at Havant Park.

Last summer, Langley Manor opener Budd won the SPL Division 3 batting award, scoring 708 runs, including two centuries - an unbeaten 137 against relegated Tichborne Park and 101 at Basingstoke & North Hants the following week. There were also three scores in the eighties and two more of fifty-plus.

Against Havant, he struck 123 - with 14 fours and a six - as Langley amassed 284 (Oliver Jones 4-36) after electing to bat.

Alex Wilkinson top scored with 71 as the hosts reached 246-5 in reply. Jones hit 45, Simon Loat 39 and Ben Turk ended 34 not out.