Match winner Neil Westhorpe hit an unbeaten 64 and skipper Mark Holmes took 5-50 as Ventnor tightened the screw at the ECB Southern Electric Premier Division basement with a nervy four-wicket win over St Cross Symondians at Newclose.
It was Ventnor’s second win in three matches and boots their prospects of avoiding the drop.
But when Ventnor slumped to 63-5 in response to the mainlanders’ modest 175, an island win appeared unlikely – until left-hander Westhorpe stepped up to save the day.
Ventnor certainly enjoyed the upper hand during the morning session, with Holmes’s five-wicket haul reducing St Cross to 139-7 off 30 overs.
They lost both openers without a run on the board before Charlie Ayres (21) and New Zealander Michael Pollard partially repaired the damage.
Pollard (70), aided by Brad Aldridge (31) and Richard Taylor (3-25), ushered the Winchester visitors to 175 all out.
Ventnor’s run chase was from straight forward and when Tasmanian Sean Willis (29) fell at 62-4, all appeared lost.
But the bespectacled Westhorpe got his head down and with Hugh Calloway (29)
doubled the total to 137-6.
There was still work to be done when James Cheek arrived at the crease, but with Westhorpe breaching the boundary rope nine times and the Ventnor wicketkeeper a reliable partner, the islanders’ got home by four wickets, with Westhorpe unbeaten on 64.
Post-lunch half-centuries by Joe Collings-Wells and Geoff Dods were to no avail as Burridge slumped to a six-wicket defeat by Havant and back into relegation trouble.
On the flip side, the win – which coincided with South Wilts’ first loss - put Havant right back into title contention.
Burridge effectively lost the game in the morning session, limping in to lunch at 101-5 (Will Steward 33) and losing a sixth wicket immediately after the break.
Left-arm spinner Chris Morgan (4-61) and Andy Gorvin (2-24) did the damage before Dods (54 not out) and Collings-Wells, with a sensibly complied 56, added 85 for the seventh wicket to give Burridge a fighting chance.
But once Ben Walker (28) and Pete Hopson (44) put on 55, it was just a matter of how quickly Havant got the runs. It took them until the 50th over, but Richard Hindley (57) and Gorvin (25) were in no hurry.
It was Ventnor’s second win in three matches and boots their prospects of avoiding the drop.
But when Ventnor slumped to 63-5 in response to the mainlanders’ modest 175, an island win appeared unlikely – until left-hander Westhorpe stepped up to save the day.
Ventnor certainly enjoyed the upper hand during the morning session, with Holmes’s five-wicket haul reducing St Cross to 139-7 off 30 overs.
They lost both openers without a run on the board before Charlie Ayres (21) and New Zealander Michael Pollard partially repaired the damage.
Pollard (70), aided by Brad Aldridge (31) and Richard Taylor (3-25), ushered the Winchester visitors to 175 all out.
Ventnor’s run chase was from straight forward and when Tasmanian Sean Willis (29) fell at 62-4, all appeared lost.
But the bespectacled Westhorpe got his head down and with Hugh Calloway (29)
doubled the total to 137-6.
There was still work to be done when James Cheek arrived at the crease, but with Westhorpe breaching the boundary rope nine times and the Ventnor wicketkeeper a reliable partner, the islanders’ got home by four wickets, with Westhorpe unbeaten on 64.
Post-lunch half-centuries by Joe Collings-Wells and Geoff Dods were to no avail as Burridge slumped to a six-wicket defeat by Havant and back into relegation trouble.
On the flip side, the win – which coincided with South Wilts’ first loss - put Havant right back into title contention.
Burridge effectively lost the game in the morning session, limping in to lunch at 101-5 (Will Steward 33) and losing a sixth wicket immediately after the break.
Left-arm spinner Chris Morgan (4-61) and Andy Gorvin (2-24) did the damage before Dods (54 not out) and Collings-Wells, with a sensibly complied 56, added 85 for the seventh wicket to give Burridge a fighting chance.
But once Ben Walker (28) and Pete Hopson (44) put on 55, it was just a matter of how quickly Havant got the runs. It took them until the 50th over, but Richard Hindley (57) and Gorvin (25) were in no hurry.
