Fair Oak still need another 18 points to clinch the Southern Premier League Division 3 championship after their top-of-the-table clash with South Wilts II was washed out at tea.
But they will be crowned champions if they beat relegation threatened Gosport Borough at Lapstone Park on Saturday, 12.30.
They probably fancied their chances of a potentially title winning victory after restricting the second placed Salisbury side to 169-9 at tea.
But when rain swept in across Salisbury Plain and soaked Bemerton, play was abandoned.
Earlier, South Wilts were indebted to Rob Franklin’s unbeaten 58 for pulling them out of the mid-afternoon mire.
Struck by two early Nick Bass (2-16) blows, South Wilts were struggling at 61-5 (Tom Berzins 23) when Franklin [Pictured by Roy Honeybone] joined Tom Pearce (23) in a sixth-wicket partnership which effectively doubled the score.
The pair lifted South Wilts to 120 before leggie Rufus Bullough (3-32) took the first of his three wickets which led to the hosts being pegged to 169-9.
South Wilts dropped out of the promotion frame to third after Purbrook beat Portsmouth & Southsea by 44 runs to sneak into second place, albeit by a mere two points.
Purbrook posted 218-7 (Josh McCoy 58) and, despite Matt Benfield’s 70, bowled P & S out for 176, Aaron Dean taking 4-42 and Brad Mengham 3-21.
Benfield, who made 92 the previous week against Hambledon, took his run tally for the season to 400 – a remarkable achievement considering he’s been playing with an Achilles injury – and against medical advice – in recent times.
It’s between Purbrook, and the second teams of Bashley (Rydal) and South Wilts as to who goes up alongside probable champions, Fair Oak.
The situation is quite complex as Purbrook receive Bashley on Saturday and visit South Wilts in the final round of matches on September 1.
But they will be crowned champions if they beat relegation threatened Gosport Borough at Lapstone Park on Saturday, 12.30.
They probably fancied their chances of a potentially title winning victory after restricting the second placed Salisbury side to 169-9 at tea.
But when rain swept in across Salisbury Plain and soaked Bemerton, play was abandoned.
Earlier, South Wilts were indebted to Rob Franklin’s unbeaten 58 for pulling them out of the mid-afternoon mire.
Struck by two early Nick Bass (2-16) blows, South Wilts were struggling at 61-5 (Tom Berzins 23) when Franklin [Pictured by Roy Honeybone] joined Tom Pearce (23) in a sixth-wicket partnership which effectively doubled the score.
The pair lifted South Wilts to 120 before leggie Rufus Bullough (3-32) took the first of his three wickets which led to the hosts being pegged to 169-9.
South Wilts dropped out of the promotion frame to third after Purbrook beat Portsmouth & Southsea by 44 runs to sneak into second place, albeit by a mere two points.
Purbrook posted 218-7 (Josh McCoy 58) and, despite Matt Benfield’s 70, bowled P & S out for 176, Aaron Dean taking 4-42 and Brad Mengham 3-21.
Benfield, who made 92 the previous week against Hambledon, took his run tally for the season to 400 – a remarkable achievement considering he’s been playing with an Achilles injury – and against medical advice – in recent times.
It’s between Purbrook, and the second teams of Bashley (Rydal) and South Wilts as to who goes up alongside probable champions, Fair Oak.
The situation is quite complex as Purbrook receive Bashley on Saturday and visit South Wilts in the final round of matches on September 1.
