Portsmouth's Rakshith Rao celebrates after taking one of his five wickets : Roy Honeybone pictures.
Portsmouth put clear daylight between themselves and Sarisbury Athletic in the race for the only Southern Premier League second tier promotion place.
Starting the day just three points clear at the summit, the city club now have a 20-point advantage with just five games left following their six-wicket win at Allotment Road.
Spinner Rakshith Rao claimed five wickets before opener Ben Duggan’s chanceless unbeaten 80 led the visitors home.
But it was a brilliant piece of fielding that set up a 10th win in 12 completed games and raised Portsmouth hopes of Premier Division cricket next year for the first time since 2007.
Sarisbury openers Tom Morton (29) and Kaiden Cookson (22) had moved to within a run of a half-century stand in almost 14 overs when Harry Gadd swooped at extra cover. In the blink of an eye, Gadd had run out Morton, Sarisbury’s leading run scorer this season, with a direct hit.
Portsmouth skipper Dan Wimble had given the new ball to Rao, and he trapped Australian Cookson leg before six runs later.
Sarisbury recovered to reach 142-3 thanks to a 66-run fourth wicket stand between Ricky Rawlins (47 off 50 balls) and left-hander Jack Lovett (36).
Wimble made the breakthrough when he brought himself into the attack in the 40th over, having Rawlins caught by Mohammed Ashraful off his fourth delivery. That was the catalyst for a collapse, with Sarisbury’s last five wickets tumbling for just 20 runs as they were dismissed for 197.
Rao ended with 5-28 - his second five-for of the Division 1 campaign - including the wickets of Lovett and skipper Rob Franklin in successive balls.
Starting the day just three points clear at the summit, the city club now have a 20-point advantage with just five games left following their six-wicket win at Allotment Road.
Spinner Rakshith Rao claimed five wickets before opener Ben Duggan’s chanceless unbeaten 80 led the visitors home.
But it was a brilliant piece of fielding that set up a 10th win in 12 completed games and raised Portsmouth hopes of Premier Division cricket next year for the first time since 2007.
Sarisbury openers Tom Morton (29) and Kaiden Cookson (22) had moved to within a run of a half-century stand in almost 14 overs when Harry Gadd swooped at extra cover. In the blink of an eye, Gadd had run out Morton, Sarisbury’s leading run scorer this season, with a direct hit.
Portsmouth skipper Dan Wimble had given the new ball to Rao, and he trapped Australian Cookson leg before six runs later.
Sarisbury recovered to reach 142-3 thanks to a 66-run fourth wicket stand between Ricky Rawlins (47 off 50 balls) and left-hander Jack Lovett (36).
Wimble made the breakthrough when he brought himself into the attack in the 40th over, having Rawlins caught by Mohammed Ashraful off his fourth delivery. That was the catalyst for a collapse, with Sarisbury’s last five wickets tumbling for just 20 runs as they were dismissed for 197.
Rao ended with 5-28 - his second five-for of the Division 1 campaign - including the wickets of Lovett and skipper Rob Franklin in successive balls.
Ben Duggan chanceless 80 : Roy Honeybone
In reply, Duggan’s highest score of the SPL season underpinned Portsmouth’s win in the 43rd over. The former skipper entered the game with a seasonal best of 68, compiled in May in a five-wicket St Helen's victory over Sarisbury. He passed that score by hitting eight fours in a 105-ball innings with three major partnerships.
Duggan and Carlin Joy (26) put on 62 for the first wicket, before Ashraful (41) helped him add 59 for the second. Wicket-keeper Sujeeth Daini compiled an undefeated 28, sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 48 with Duggan.
Duggan and Carlin Joy (26) put on 62 for the first wicket, before Ashraful (41) helped him add 59 for the second. Wicket-keeper Sujeeth Daini compiled an undefeated 28, sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 48 with Duggan.
