Portsmouth & Southsea held their nerve and pulled off a dramatic four-run last ball win at Hambledon and, with three group games to go, are only one point ahead of Liphook in Southern Premier League Cup East 2/3.
They are five clear of Hartley Wintney, whose visit to St James's Park on Saturday will be key.
Teenager Alex Davidson starred for P & S, hitting 64 and sharing a key 88-run stand with Chris Bollom (47 not out) which took the Ridge Meadow visitors to 204-5.
A 17-year old Portsmouth Grammar School student, wicket-keeper Davidson (pictured) is in his third season at P & S and announced his potential two summers ago by making 136 for the club's fourth team against Burridge.
He cracked three sixes and seven fours in a 45-ball knock which lifted P & S from 102-4, openers Jack Davies (33) and Matt Benfield (38) having earlier put on 74.
Another PGS prospect Jack Pearce (3-20), nephew of the Bognor Regis Town soccer chief, broke through with his off-spin.
Hambledon looked on course for victory at 193-4, but promptly lost four wickets for six runs – and the match with it.
The run chase had initially been built around Spencer le Clerq (25) and Henry Glanfield (41), but more specifically George Marshall (66) and Will Bond (46), who put on 100 from 93-4. Then all the good work was undone.
Hartley Wintney are third after a seven-wicket win over Gosport Borough, whose modest 197-7 centred around Mark Toogood (67) and Charlie Creal (57), who added 127 after the visitors had dropped to 50-3.
Angus Brown (27) and Will Ross (32) shared six of the Borough wickets before sharing a 79-run start which ended in dramatic fashion with Sampath Prathapasinghe (3-23) taking three wickets for the addition of only five runs.
Borough’s faint hopes of pulling a victory out of the bag ended when former Alton cricketer Hugh Hammond (74) and Jamie Teale (39) produced an unbroken century stand to drive Hartley towards victory.
A third successive win has left Waterlooville firmly in the mix - Purbrook being bundled out for a dismal 64 at Rowlands Avenue before conceding a seven-wicket defeat.
Ville’s last three games are against Gosport Borough, Hartley Wintney and, significantly, Portsmouth & Southsea.
They are five clear of Hartley Wintney, whose visit to St James's Park on Saturday will be key.
Teenager Alex Davidson starred for P & S, hitting 64 and sharing a key 88-run stand with Chris Bollom (47 not out) which took the Ridge Meadow visitors to 204-5.
A 17-year old Portsmouth Grammar School student, wicket-keeper Davidson (pictured) is in his third season at P & S and announced his potential two summers ago by making 136 for the club's fourth team against Burridge.
He cracked three sixes and seven fours in a 45-ball knock which lifted P & S from 102-4, openers Jack Davies (33) and Matt Benfield (38) having earlier put on 74.
Another PGS prospect Jack Pearce (3-20), nephew of the Bognor Regis Town soccer chief, broke through with his off-spin.
Hambledon looked on course for victory at 193-4, but promptly lost four wickets for six runs – and the match with it.
The run chase had initially been built around Spencer le Clerq (25) and Henry Glanfield (41), but more specifically George Marshall (66) and Will Bond (46), who put on 100 from 93-4. Then all the good work was undone.
Hartley Wintney are third after a seven-wicket win over Gosport Borough, whose modest 197-7 centred around Mark Toogood (67) and Charlie Creal (57), who added 127 after the visitors had dropped to 50-3.
Angus Brown (27) and Will Ross (32) shared six of the Borough wickets before sharing a 79-run start which ended in dramatic fashion with Sampath Prathapasinghe (3-23) taking three wickets for the addition of only five runs.
Borough’s faint hopes of pulling a victory out of the bag ended when former Alton cricketer Hugh Hammond (74) and Jamie Teale (39) produced an unbroken century stand to drive Hartley towards victory.
A third successive win has left Waterlooville firmly in the mix - Purbrook being bundled out for a dismal 64 at Rowlands Avenue before conceding a seven-wicket defeat.
Ville’s last three games are against Gosport Borough, Hartley Wintney and, significantly, Portsmouth & Southsea.
