ST Cross Symondians came close to gatecrashing South Wilts’ vice-presidents champagne gig at Bemerton.

Twice they had the party-goers unsettled before Tom Morton’s mightily relieved Southern Electric Premier Division winners inched an 18-run victory.

A pulsating 50-over affair swung back and forth as both sides recovered after their respective top order batting collapsed.

South Wilts, on the ropes at 83-6, rallied to post 215-7 and then, having had St Cross Symondians six down for 27, witnessed a remarkable fightback which culminated in the visitors’ almost snatching a win for themselves.

Charlie Ayres and Matthew Stokes, both on half-term school holidays, put together a stunning 127-run stand, which almost turned the match on its head.

St Cross got to within 22 runs of the target, only to lose their last three wickets for three runs and suffer a gallant 18-run loss.

“We were in real trouble at one point so it is always more satisfying when you win games like that,” said South Wilts all-rounder James Hibberd, who played a lead role on the day.

The vice-presidents were tucking into their roast beef and fresh salmon luncheon main course when the clatter of wickets began.

South Wilts progressed to 33-0 without too many alarms, but by the time the diners got on to their strawberries and fresh cream, the three-time champions were rocking at 83-6.

Chichester University student James Marsh (4-32) caused the indigestion, removing Eddie Abel (29), Steve Riddle (18), Hampshire’s Sean Terry (0) and James Hayward (18).

Hibberd (50) and Western Australia left-hander Ryan Duffield (40) to allow the post-meal drinks to slip down a little easier.

They added 89 for the seventh wicket before Rob Franklin chipped a timely 26 to lift South Wilts to an eventual 215-7.

Having wriggled off the hook, South Wilts proceeded to wreck Symondians’ top order response.

Tom Foyle (18) hit three boundaries – but then Duffield struck with devastating effect.

He had both Matt Haworth and former Hampshire batsman Adam Rouse caught behind without scoring – and then Hibberd castled New Zealand provincial cricketer Michael Pollard first ball, St Cross Symondians 15-3.

It got worse – a lot worse – as the visitors’ lost three wickets at 27 - Duffield getting a third caught behind and Hibberd dismissing the Foyle brothers in quick succession.

“Duff was excellent. He has been working hard on his game in training and it’s paying off,” Hibberd added.

St Cross were facing their lowest-ever SPD total – they were dismissed for 53 by Bournemouth in 2008, a match they incredibly won by bowling their opponents out for 44 – but their two youngest players were about to change the face of the game.

Promising Guernsey islander Stokes (65) and Ayres (66), from Kings’ Taunton, were taking a break from their pending A-level studies.

Carefully and sensibly they began to turn things around, comfortably building a sizeable partnership against a South Wilts attack, which switched largely to spin.

As their both brought up their respective half-centuries and took the St Cross reply into the 150s, South Wilts began to get edgy. And no wonder.

Ayres eventually perished to the off-spin of Franklin (154-7), but Richard Taylor added another 27 runs to make things tighter.

With the run-rate now nine an over, Stokes was run out for 65 by Abel, Taylor fell to Hibberd (4-34) and Tabs Farooq was clean bowled by Duffield (4-20)

Thee wickets went down for three runs as St Cross Symondians closed – courageously – at 197 all out after a titanic scrap.

n SOUTH Wilts will reach the regional final of the ECB’s Royal London national club championship if they beat Ventnor at Bemerton on Sunday (1pm).

Awarded a first round bye, South Wilts beat Potterne in a high scoring affair last time out and will start favourites against Ventnor they have already beaten in the Premier League a fortnight ago.

Western Australian Ryan Duffield is ineligible for the ECB competition in which SW will entertain either Havant or Basingstoke & North Hants in the zone fina.