SOUTH WILTS’ TITLE HOPES TAKE SERIOUS DENT

South Wilts’ ECB Southern Electric Premier League title aspirations took a serious dent with a two-wicket defeat by St Cross Symondians on an uncertain Royal Green Jackets Ground surface.
In a 46-over affair delayed by rain, they were bowled out for 140 and despite taking eight St Cross wickets were narrowly beaten in a tense finish.
Tom Morton, whose 60 put his season’s tally beyond the 800-run mark, held the South Wilts innings together as Stuart Charman (5-30) and Lawrie Prittipaul (2-22) cut deep into their batting order.
South Wilts, who began the day 14 points behind Bournemouth, tumbled from 68-1 to 111-7 before Paul Draper and Simon Branston staged a late defiant rally. South Wilts’ 140 looked some distance away when James Hibberd (3-15) and Branston (2-23), thriving in bowler friendly conditions, reduced St Cross to 15-3.  Hamza Riazuddin (45) and Fergus Haycock (28) added a precious 66 to get St Cross back on track, but having reached 110, Steve Warner (2-40) had the Hampshire all-rounder caught behind. Prittipaul (21) kept the board moving, but more wickets fell to leave the outcome in the balance at 132-8. But Hampshire Under-17 captain Jordan Finney, who had earlier bowled nine tidy overs of off-spin, kept his cool and guided St Cross home with a key 18 not out.
The outcome was a major blow to South Wilts, whose 2nd XI lost their unbeaten Hampshire League record to Waterlooville and still need five more points to clinch the title.