Fair Oak enhanced their Southern Premier League Division 3 promotion hopes by dropping Hursley Park back into the two-down relegation zone with a comfortable 74-run victory at The Quarters.
It was Oaks’ sixth win in eight matches and left them handily tucked into third place effectively two points behind Basingstoke & North Hants, who lost by one run at St Cross Symondians II.
Teenage left-hander Charlie Gwynne underpinned a strong Oaks start, hitting a six and eight fours in an accomplished 77 which, after an 89-run stand with Ed Kemp (40), saw the visitors go to 166-2.
Rhys Oxley (31) added useful runs, but Fair Oak lost wickets in pursuit of maximum batting bonus points, four of them to Zimbabwean all-rounder Boswell Chapungu for a rather expensive off nine overs.
Oaks’ eventual 229-9 proved more than enough as Hursley, 45-1 (Joe Theobald 24) at one stage, lost wickets at regular intervals and failed to put together any meaningful partnerships.
Asad Abbas (2-16) bowled a typically mean ten-over spell, with his dismissal of Chapungu key towards the eventual outcome.
Nick Turner (24) and Tom Flynn (24) each made starts, while Alex Sutherland hit an unbeaten 21 to ensure Hursley Park secured an extra bowling point and, at 155-9, frustrated Fair Oak in their quest for a maximum-point haul.
But Basingstoke’s slip up at the Green Jackets Ground boosted Oaks’ position.
That the Bountymen got as close as one run behind Symondians’ 185-6 (Harry Foyle 52) owed much to their lower order.
At 96-6 (Chris Froud 45), they looked out of the contest, but Keith Harsham (27) and Chris Chandler (21) kick started a revival, which Alan Whitman (3-41) needed to check.
When Basingstoke lost their ninth wicket at 146, it seemed just a matter of time before St Cross celebrated.
But Harry Smith (31) and last man Dave Pistorious eked out another 38 before the teenager went for broke sent a return catch to Stephen Mitchell off the first ball of the last over, to leave Basingstoke 184 all out.
It was Oaks’ sixth win in eight matches and left them handily tucked into third place effectively two points behind Basingstoke & North Hants, who lost by one run at St Cross Symondians II.
Teenage left-hander Charlie Gwynne underpinned a strong Oaks start, hitting a six and eight fours in an accomplished 77 which, after an 89-run stand with Ed Kemp (40), saw the visitors go to 166-2.
Rhys Oxley (31) added useful runs, but Fair Oak lost wickets in pursuit of maximum batting bonus points, four of them to Zimbabwean all-rounder Boswell Chapungu for a rather expensive off nine overs.
Oaks’ eventual 229-9 proved more than enough as Hursley, 45-1 (Joe Theobald 24) at one stage, lost wickets at regular intervals and failed to put together any meaningful partnerships.
Asad Abbas (2-16) bowled a typically mean ten-over spell, with his dismissal of Chapungu key towards the eventual outcome.
Nick Turner (24) and Tom Flynn (24) each made starts, while Alex Sutherland hit an unbeaten 21 to ensure Hursley Park secured an extra bowling point and, at 155-9, frustrated Fair Oak in their quest for a maximum-point haul.
But Basingstoke’s slip up at the Green Jackets Ground boosted Oaks’ position.
That the Bountymen got as close as one run behind Symondians’ 185-6 (Harry Foyle 52) owed much to their lower order.
At 96-6 (Chris Froud 45), they looked out of the contest, but Keith Harsham (27) and Chris Chandler (21) kick started a revival, which Alan Whitman (3-41) needed to check.
When Basingstoke lost their ninth wicket at 146, it seemed just a matter of time before St Cross celebrated.
But Harry Smith (31) and last man Dave Pistorious eked out another 38 before the teenager went for broke sent a return catch to Stephen Mitchell off the first ball of the last over, to leave Basingstoke 184 all out.
