BACK at the top of the ECB Southern Electric Premier League and into the semi-finals of the Southern Electric twenty20 Cup – life could scarcely be better for South Wilts.

The Bemerton club seized the Premier Division leadership from Ventnor with a thrilling three-wicket win at Bashley (Rydal) – a result thatcoincided with the Islanders surprisingly slipping up against the Hampshire Academy, writes Mike Vimpany.

Twenty-four hours after the Bashley triumph, South Wilts thrashed Old Tauntonians & Romsey by 110 runs to clinch a place in the Southern Electric twenty20 Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2006.

Now comes the big crunch match – Ventnor’s visit to Wilton Road for an allday Time pennant affair on Saturday assuming considerable importance in the silverware stakes.

South Wilts launched a last gasp six-hitting frenzy to pull off a stunning threewicket win over Bashley (Rydal) – Rob Franklin clearing the long-off boundary to clinch victory off the penultimate ball of the match.

With Ventnor losing to the Academy, the win enabled South Wilts to seize the Premier Division leadership by two points over the Islanders.

Tom Morton was the hero of South Wilts’ triumphant run chase which, at 124-5 responding to Bashley’s 252-7, appeared unlikely.

But Morton, who had scored only 62 in his previous five SPL knocks and has been out of sorts with the bat for the past two seasons, turned the tide – and almost the howling wind – with a stunning innings of 122.

He initially picked up the pieces from a double blow by Bashley’s Kevin Nash (3-64) which left South Wilts wobbling on 26-2.

But Morton enjoyed a fruitful 96-run partnership with Zimbabwean talent Ryan Burl (43) to push the visitors on to 122-3 before a spate of ‘leg before’ decisions sent three wickets falling for just two runs.

With half the team back in the pavilion, South Wilts’ main objective was to ensure they didn’t lose – or, at best, get a ‘winning draw’.

Morton’s sixth-wicket recovery with Joe Cranch (37) realised both – and having attained their initial 227-run target to achieve a wining draw, they went for broke.

With two overs remaining, South Wilts, at 221-6, still required 33 to win.

Morton brought up his century – and then unleashed a massive six-strewn penultimate over attack on the off-spin of Simon Watkins, whose first three balls disappeared out of the BCG over wide midwicket.

Having taken two runs off the fourth ball, Morton perished to the next as he skied a catch to wicketkeeper Dan Friedman.

But four byes off the last ball of the over – which yielded 24 runs – left South Wilts requiring eight to win off the final over of the day by Nash – and three runs off the last two balls.

Rob Franklin, a more than capable lateorder batsman, didn’t mess about – the penultimate ball of the day landing in the bushes to the left of the BCG pavilion to give South Wilts a sensational victory.

Earlier James Hibberd (2-46) took two early morning wickets, but skipper Richard Morris (84) and Neil Thurgood (66) took Bashley beyond their lunchtime 112-3 and on to 184 when Morton snared a razor-sharp leg-side stumping to remove Thurgood.

With a century beckoning, Morris holed out in the deep, but Watkins (29) and Chris Vaughan (20) added late runs while Christian Pain and Burl took two wickets each.

“It was a champion performance by a champion team,” skipper James Hayward glowed afterwards.

“We’re so delighted for Morts, because he’s struggled for runs for the past two summers, but he looked back to his best with this knock, so hopefully he’ll go on from there.”

Hayward also believes South Wilts can push on and defend their title.

“We had our blip against Alton a few weeks ago, but we’ve won three in a row now and, with Ventnor surprisingly losing, we’re back in the box seat,” he continued.

“Ventnor come to our place (Bemerton) on Saturday and that’s a game that will be crucial to both of us. If we can win that game as well, the title will be ours to lose”

l South Wilts powered into the Southern Electric t20 Cup semi-finals after a 221-run spree against OTs & Romsey, who they beat by 110 runs.

James Hayward flayed four sixes and ten fours in a 32-ball 70, while Rob Pittman (50), Joe Cranch (39) and Rob Franklin (28) chipped in.

OTs were never at the races chasing 221- 4 and were dismissed for 111 (Rob Newman (42), Franklin taking 4-16.