Gosport Borough targeting another promotion as Richards shines in Southern Premier League win against Basingstoke

Borough, promoted from the top flight of the Hampshire League in 2019, are chasing a second successive promotion.

And they remained in second place, behind Hambledon, after a bowling performance that saw Basingstoke & North Hants 2nds collapse from 101-4 to 125 all out.

That left Gosport, who had posted 165 after being inserted, to collect a third Division 3 win in four matches.

Hawkins (4-25) struck first in his opening spell when he dismissed middle order batsman Neil Shelar (1) to reduce Basingstoke to 56-4.

In his second, he clean bowled top scorer Richard Vinn (43) as the visitors lost their last four wickets for the addition of just two runs.

Jacob Harris (2-22) and Charlie Creal (2-25) provided Hawkins with wicket-taking back-up while Scott Taylor sent down a highly economical spell of 8-3-9-1.

Gosport had earlier required an eighth wicket stand of 43 between Taylor (19) and John Adams (24) as the hosts - who had slipped from 94-4 to 106-7 - eventually reached 165.

Craig Stares, moved up the order to open in the absence of injured skipper Lee Harrop, top scored for Borough with 32.

But they had been in some trouble after Ryan Connor (3-44) had dismissed top order trio Ollie Creal (17), Charlie Creal (6) and Harris (9).