Burridge v St Cross – the first-ever last-day ‘winner takes all’ Southern Premier League title clash

Since the competition became a registered ECB Premier League in 2000, only six clubs have won the title.

Havant (8) and South Wilts (6) lead the list, with St Cross, Bashley, BAT and Bournemouth having also lifted the silverware.

Burridge will therefore become the seventh if they can beat defending champions St Cross at home.

A defeat, though, will see the Winchester-based St Cross claim their third championship since 2018.

This weekend’s fixture is the first time in SPL history that a final-day title decider has taken place.

It was set up after Burridge claimed a fifth straight win last weekend, beating Bashley, while St Cross’ fixture was rained off.

The margin between the clubs, after 17 games, could hardly be tighter - St Cross’ average points per game is 17.91, compared to Burridge’s 17.79.

Burridge have already beaten St Cross once this season, on July 1 when South African opener Matt Goles hammered an unbeaten 146.

He sealed his side’s two-wicket win with his seventh maximum, to go alongside his 16 fours in a 136-ball masterpiece.

Goles is by some distance the leading runscorer in the four tiers of the SPL, with 771 runs at 77.10.

Next best, with 691, is Andover’s former Zimbabwe international Richmond Mutambami.

Burridge skipper Joe Collings-Wells’ 70 against Bashley last weekend means he is now the second highest-scorer in the top flight with 441 runs, two more than Havant glovesman George Metzger.

Charlie Mumford, with 297, is St Cross’ highest SPL runscorer this weather-hit campaign.

The defending champions have so far lost six matches to rain in 2023 - four being cancelled and two abandoned.

The weather gods have been kinder to Burridge, who have only lost three matches to rain.

Burridge are aiming to go one better than in 2018, when they finished runners-up - the highest finish in the club’s SPL history. St Cross won their first title that year.

South Wilts, though, could also still win the title. But the Salisbury club will need to beat Alton and hope the Burridge v St Cross match is either tied or rained off.

At the other end of the table, Totton & Eling are relegated unless they beat Lymington.

Alternatively, they could stay up if their match is tied or a no result and Alton or Bashley fail to get a few points to protect their averages.

Lymington and even sixth-placed Havant are not safe yet.

Wins for Totton & Eling, Alton and Bashley (who play Havant) would probably make it a photo finish between Havant and Lymington.

Even with just one round of games remaining, there are numerous possible scenarios, especially if the weather gods want to have a say again…