Burridge on receiving end of Bashley skipper Digby’s stunning haul – the best Southern Premier League top flight bowling figures for seven years

Stand-in Burridge skipper Joe Collings-Wells hit 34 in his side's loss to Bashley. Picture: Vernon Nash

Bashley skipper Josh Digby claimed a stunning 7-21 haul off 16.3 overs in his side’s seven-wicket Premier Division stroll in the New Forest.

That was the best top flight haul since Lymington’s Matt Metcalfe tore through the Havant order to record 8-23 in June 2015 - the day when Havant were routed for just 50.

Bringing himself on as first change to bowl the 13th over, Digby conceded just five runs off his first four overs before ending a 72-run opening stand between Azimunnoor Chowdhury (45) and Jack Paskins (34) by dismissing the former.

A score of 72-0 became 94-4 when Digby removed Paskins, Chris Blake (7) and Nathan Schultz (7).

Hambledon run machine Matt De Villiers hits another Southern Premier League cent...

Joe Collings-Wells - hitting 43 as stand-in skipper in the absence of Hilio De Abreu - and Dan Stancliffe (27) took Burridge to 183-5. But Digby brought himself back into the attack and the last five wickets clattered for just 21 runs.

Digby’s figures are the second best recorded across the four SPL divisions in 2022 - behind only Portsmouth & Southsea seamer Jake Peach’s 7-17 haul against Basingstoke & North Hants 2nds in a Division 3 fixture on June 4.

Opener Will Tripcony (60), Tom Friend (55 not out) and Jacob Gordon (49) eased Bashley to victory.

Elsewhere in the top flight, Lymington’s Daniel Cox bagged 6-33 as Hook & Newnham Basics’ woes continued. The cellar dwellers were hustled out for 114 en route to an eight-wicket defeat.