Waterlooville remain on course for an instant return to the second tier of the Southern Premier League.
Relegated last year, Ville have won eight out of 10 Division 2 matches in 2026. Their latest victory was a 116-run drubbing of Hook & Newnham Basics that also boosted Portsmouth & Southsea’s promotion hopes.
With the top two going up, P & S are now above Hook following a 62-run success against Andover.
Kiwi Luke Anderson hit his highest score of the year for Ville, hitting 84 off 70 balls – with six sixes - and sharing a fifth wicket stand of 97 with Matty Hayward, who eventually fell for 55, the second highest score of the former Havant player’s career.
Ville closed on 294-9 with Joe Mitchell having helped Jon Hudson (49*) add 40 for the ninth wicket.
In reply, Hook crashed to 43-7 with Ashan Silva pictured (4-45) and Dylan Youngs (3-17) wreaking havoc between them.
Rupert Armstrong (41) and Will Gardner (34) rallied with 75 for the eighth wicket. The tail continued to wag as Josh Balcombe (40) and last man Lewis Watts (15*) put on a further 56 for the last wicket before the former fell with the score on 178.
Jake Peach ran through Andover’s top order at St James Park as P & S took full advantage of Hook’s defeat.
Asked to chase 206 for victory, Peach took all the wickets as the visitors nosedived to 57-5. Teenage prospect Cam Mitchinson made 33.
Ben Saunders (3-27) took the next three before Jono Willey returned to wrap up the innings on 143 with two wickets in the space of three balls.
Sanka Purna (61) and Ned Rockett (45) earlier top scored for P & S after they had been inserted.
All games are crucial, of course, but P & S’ next two are particularly big – facing fourth-placed Sway and third-placed Hook – as they bid for second tier cricket for the first time in their history.
What they need now is some consistency !
As many as five clubs are the frame to contest the probable second promotion spot out of Southern Premier Division 2 behind title favourites Waterlooville.
Portsmouth & Southsea and Sway have each won six of their ten matches, while Hook & Newnham Basics, New Milton and Sparsholt have all lost five times.
Sway lie fourth, five points off a promotion place, with a 23-run win over New Milton - Dan Bailey (80) and Keegan Fortune (72) top scored in Sway's 248-8, the Green & Golds replying with 225.
Liphook & Ripsley and Parley, the two bottom clubs, both lost - Liphook by a thumping 209 runs at home to Fawley, where Bailey Parratt (65), Raminder Singh (56) and Sufian Munir (50) led the visitors to 291-8. Adam Freeman's 5-31 mowed Liphook down for a paltry 82.
The jury remains out on 2025 SPL3 winners Parley, who by five wickets to Sparsholt and are rock bottom.
Relegated last year, Ville have won eight out of 10 Division 2 matches in 2026. Their latest victory was a 116-run drubbing of Hook & Newnham Basics that also boosted Portsmouth & Southsea’s promotion hopes.
With the top two going up, P & S are now above Hook following a 62-run success against Andover.
Kiwi Luke Anderson hit his highest score of the year for Ville, hitting 84 off 70 balls – with six sixes - and sharing a fifth wicket stand of 97 with Matty Hayward, who eventually fell for 55, the second highest score of the former Havant player’s career.
Ville closed on 294-9 with Joe Mitchell having helped Jon Hudson (49*) add 40 for the ninth wicket.
In reply, Hook crashed to 43-7 with Ashan Silva pictured (4-45) and Dylan Youngs (3-17) wreaking havoc between them.
Rupert Armstrong (41) and Will Gardner (34) rallied with 75 for the eighth wicket. The tail continued to wag as Josh Balcombe (40) and last man Lewis Watts (15*) put on a further 56 for the last wicket before the former fell with the score on 178.
Jake Peach ran through Andover’s top order at St James Park as P & S took full advantage of Hook’s defeat.
Asked to chase 206 for victory, Peach took all the wickets as the visitors nosedived to 57-5. Teenage prospect Cam Mitchinson made 33.
Ben Saunders (3-27) took the next three before Jono Willey returned to wrap up the innings on 143 with two wickets in the space of three balls.
Sanka Purna (61) and Ned Rockett (45) earlier top scored for P & S after they had been inserted.
All games are crucial, of course, but P & S’ next two are particularly big – facing fourth-placed Sway and third-placed Hook – as they bid for second tier cricket for the first time in their history.
What they need now is some consistency !
As many as five clubs are the frame to contest the probable second promotion spot out of Southern Premier Division 2 behind title favourites Waterlooville.
Portsmouth & Southsea and Sway have each won six of their ten matches, while Hook & Newnham Basics, New Milton and Sparsholt have all lost five times.
Sway lie fourth, five points off a promotion place, with a 23-run win over New Milton - Dan Bailey (80) and Keegan Fortune (72) top scored in Sway's 248-8, the Green & Golds replying with 225.
Liphook & Ripsley and Parley, the two bottom clubs, both lost - Liphook by a thumping 209 runs at home to Fawley, where Bailey Parratt (65), Raminder Singh (56) and Sufian Munir (50) led the visitors to 291-8. Adam Freeman's 5-31 mowed Liphook down for a paltry 82.
The jury remains out on 2025 SPL3 winners Parley, who by five wickets to Sparsholt and are rock bottom.
 Dan Bailey |  Bailey Parratt |
