Career best for Stone as Havant claim Southern Premier League victory – Burridge hammer Lymington to boost relegation fight

He bagged 6-42 as Havant allowed the cellar dwellers to post 251-9 after electing to bat.

Opener Josh Buckingham hit 73 off 75 balls before he became one of Stone’s six victims.

Stone’s previous best was 4-26 in a SPL T20 Cup tie earlier this year. He has now taken 28 wickets in all forms of the game this year, compared with 27 in his previous seven campaigns combined.

In reply, Peter Hopson (57) and Stuart Ransley (14) put on 79 for the first wicket.

Harry Gadd (86 not out off 98 balls) added 96 for the fifth wicket with George Metzger (38) with the fifth wicket.

Gadd and Richard Hindley (32 not out) then shared an unbroken 70 for the sixth wicket as Havant won by six wickets.

It was Gadd’s second highest league score of the season, after his 135 against Bournemouth, and he remains the top tier’s fourth highest runscorer with 547 at 45.58. Stone is third in the list, with 562.

Second-bottom Burridge thrashed Lymington by 171 runs in the New Forest to move 35 points ahead of Hook.

Opener Jack Paskins hit a career best 97 as Burridge posted 266-9 (Jovan Dhariwal 3-63) after winning the toss.

Skipper Joe Collings-Wells hit 61, adding 106 for the first wicket with Paskins in the process.

Lymington, who had thrashed Havant the previous week, were routed for 95 with William Donald (3-1) and Ollie Creal (3-34) leading the damage. Opener Conor Moors (22) top scored.

South Wilts are just two points ahead of St Cross at the top of the table, with four matches to go, after a dramatic afternoon’s action.

While Wilts were losing to Bashley, St Cross tied with the Hampshire Academy when the latter’s Ethan Baker was run out by Sam Beer off the final ball.

Baker (22) and Louis Prichard (24 not out) had set up the tense finale by adding 45 for the ninth wicket.

Both sides finished on 244-9 off 50 overs at the Ageas Bowl’s nursery ground.

The two skippers top scored - Ed Ellis hitting 51 for St Cross and Joseph Eckland 63 for the hosts.

Jack Stearman just missed out on recording back-to-back league centuries as South Wilts lost to Bashley.

After hitting 102 on his previous outing against Hook a fortnight earlier, the opener was dismissed for 97 as Wilts posted 272-5.

He put on 94 for the first wicket with Tom Morton (40) before Peter Rowe (60) helped him add 110 for the second wicket.

Michael Porter’s second league ton of the campaign helped Bashley reach their target with more than four overs to spare.

Porter - who had hit 102 not out against Havant in June - compiled an unbeaten 115 off 114 balls with 11 fours and two sixes.

Saif Achakzai (41) helped Porter put on 79 for the fourth wicket, with James Trodd (38 not out) playing his part in an unbroken seventh wicket partnership of 78.