SOUTH Wilts gained quick revenge for a league defeat against St Cross, as they beat them by seven runs, to secure a trip to the Ageas Bowl on September 16 for the final of the Southern League  T20 Cup.

This will be the clubs fourth final appearance in six years and they won the trophy back-to-back in 2013 and 2014 this time they will face Hook and Newnham Basics in the final.

At St Cross, on Sunday the visitors won the toss and started off like a train thanks to Jack Mynott (21) and Joe Cranch (40).

Cranch's was the first man out as his 19 ball knock which included eight fours and one six.

He was replaced by Ben Draper and he top scored with 42 which came from 35 balls and included two fours and a six.

These three players set the platform as South Wilts finished on 135-8 with Jack Stearman hitting 12 in the middle order.

The St Cross reply got off to the worst possible start, as Tom Foyle was removed for a duck by Robert Pittman (2-20 from four overs) as he was caught behind by Draper.

It soon became 5-2 as Harry Came was trapped leg by Stephen Warner.

Billy Mead (27) Harry Foyle (33) and Daniel Lunn (21) got the home side back on track, but Mycott 2-22 from four overs) dismissed Mead and Lunn, while Foyle was caught behind to give Stearman, his first of two wickets.

In the end, St Cross fell short of their target, as they finished on 128-9.

The previous day, South Wilts hopes of winning the Southern League Premier Division title after suffering a crushing 119-run defeat by champions-in-waiting St Cross at Bemerton.

The Winchester club, who have never won the title before, only need to beat relegated New Milton and second-from-bottom Lymington in their final two games to be crowned champions.

St Cross made light of the absence of Hampshire’s Jimmy Adams, who had plundered 495 runs, including three centuries, in the previous four Premier Division matches.

They overcame a wobble – losing three wickets for 27 runs after being 106-1 – to post a daunting 285-5 before bowling South Wilts out for 166.

Former Hampshire batsman Jason Laney, who played his junior cricket at Bemerton in the Roger Sillence era, underpinned the century launch St Cross got.

He lost Tom Foyle at 33-1, but got his head down to graft out an important 59 (seven fours) and shared a decent second wicket partnership with Harry Came (24) which established the visitors’ position.

Although South Wilts took three wickets to check Symondians’ progress at 133-4, their bowling was off-line (and often too short) as they struggled to control the swinging ball.

It led to wides galore – a staggering 43 of them out of an incredible 60 sundries they gifted the visitors – and some pretty dismal of out-cricket.

St Cross duly cashed in, with Ed Ellis (48) and man-of-the-match Harry Foyle, with an unbeaten 65, putting together a century stand – and, at 237-5, taking the game completely out of South Wilts’ reach.

The last four overs saw another 48 runs added and St Cross halfway to what could prove a priceless result in the championship race.

Second placed Burridge won by four wickets at Bashley (Rydal) and lie four points behind the leaders.

South Wilts needed major contributions from opening pair Tom Morton and Kenya-bound Jack Mynott if they were going to put St Cross under any pressure.

Directly Morton holed out at mid-wicket, South Wilts were on the downward slope.

Jack Bransgrove (2-26) struck twice with the new ball to remove both openers either side of teenage left-hander Jack Stearman being run out.

With Harry Foyle (3-19) creating inroads, South Wilts dropped to 84-6 (Ben Draper 24) before James Hibberd (24) and Luke Evans (23) added some respectability to their eventual 166 all out (Raj Naik 2-38).