South Wilts gave their ECB Southern Premier Division survival prospects a significant boost with a seven-wicket win at Burridge - but skipper Ben Draper acknowledges there is still work to be done to avert any late hiccups.
Beating bottom of the log Basingstoke & North Hants at Bemerton on Saturday (12.30) is an absolute must if top-tier recreational cricket is to remain alongside Wilton Road.
South Wilts are effectively 26 points ahead of Basingstoke, who will almost certainly be relegated if they are beaten.
The match is being dubbed "Survival Saturday" by the pundits, and the guests at a sell-out vice president’s lunch will doubtless sip their chilled white wine nervously.
South Wilts captain Ben Draper said: "There’s no doubt we need to beat Basingstoke as both Bournemouth and ourselves put vital win points on the board last weekend, so we don’t want that advantage to slip."
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By the end of his 10-over spell, the youngster had bagged teen Ronnie Singh and James Hughes to leave Burridge in trouble at 107-6.
The ever-reliable Inayat Ullah (42) rallied, but lost three partners to James Degg (3-22) as Burridge dropped to 159 all out.
Bowling his right-arm seam, Ullah (2-43) struck twice, removing Degg and Harry Broderick before South Wilts’ response reached 50.
But an unbeaten 74 by Ben Draper, his highest score since making a century against Havant in June 2022, and a watchful 40 not out by Tom Cheater ensured there were no further alarms.
Draper went on to hit 13 fours in a real confidence-boosting innings.
South Wilts’ T20 hopes were dashed by a late three-wicket quarter-final defeat at Lymington, where they narrowly failed to defend 165-6 (Trishwan Francis 74).
Lymington got home with two balls of the last over to spare despite a 4-27 return by Harry Broderick.
Report by Mike Vimpany
