Paultons haven't won a Southern Premier Division 3 match since their round 5 victory over Purbrook in early June, at which point they probably fancied a title tilt.
After all, it was their fourth win in five matches. Since then, it's all gone terribly wrong, a sequence of seven successive defeats sent them spinning down the table, though at this stage not in any significant danger of being sucked inti the relegation zone.
Surely that wretched run as going to end when they posted 293 and reduced hosts Gosport Borough to 158-6. Not so.
Enter the Privett Park arena, Tyrel Chicot, all the way from St Kitts in the sunny Caribbean.
He promptly added 134 for the seventh wicket with Scott Taylor (39) to haul Gosport back into contention.
Originally signed by the Tony Stares management to add fire to the Borough attack, he ended with an unbeaten 77 off 62 balls, with seven fours and four sixes, as Gosport clinched victory by two wickets with 15 balls remaining.
Captain Lee Harrop (42) and opening partner Jayaram Jayaraj (40) had put on 67 as Gosport began their chase. Paultons also contributed to their downfall by conceding 27 wides in a total of 40 extras.
Paul Longland (79), with his sixth 50-plus score of the summer, and left-hand Dorset U18 prospect Ben Rogers (66) had begun with a 116-run first-wicket stand.
At long last, Australian Callum Barton got some runs - a breezy 51 off 49 balls - while Muhammad Ali bagged 3-72 off 10 overs, while spinner Jack Richards bowled a frugal spell of 1-30 off ten overs.
After all, it was their fourth win in five matches. Since then, it's all gone terribly wrong, a sequence of seven successive defeats sent them spinning down the table, though at this stage not in any significant danger of being sucked inti the relegation zone.
Surely that wretched run as going to end when they posted 293 and reduced hosts Gosport Borough to 158-6. Not so.
Enter the Privett Park arena, Tyrel Chicot, all the way from St Kitts in the sunny Caribbean.
He promptly added 134 for the seventh wicket with Scott Taylor (39) to haul Gosport back into contention.
Originally signed by the Tony Stares management to add fire to the Borough attack, he ended with an unbeaten 77 off 62 balls, with seven fours and four sixes, as Gosport clinched victory by two wickets with 15 balls remaining.
Captain Lee Harrop (42) and opening partner Jayaram Jayaraj (40) had put on 67 as Gosport began their chase. Paultons also contributed to their downfall by conceding 27 wides in a total of 40 extras.
Paul Longland (79), with his sixth 50-plus score of the summer, and left-hand Dorset U18 prospect Ben Rogers (66) had begun with a 116-run first-wicket stand.
At long last, Australian Callum Barton got some runs - a breezy 51 off 49 balls - while Muhammad Ali bagged 3-72 off 10 overs, while spinner Jack Richards bowled a frugal spell of 1-30 off ten overs.