Hambledon star Matt De Villiers takes another huge step towards setting new Southern Premier League run record with fourth century of stellar 2022 campaign

The Hambledon ace struck 125 in the 101-run victory over St Cross 2nds to take his Division 2 tally to 869 in only 11 innings.

De Villiers now needs just 208 runs from a maximum six innings to surpass fellow South African Will Prosezky’s record.

Prosezky scored 1,076 runs for Havant in the top tier and (mainly) Purbrook in Division 3 in 2005.

De Villiers, who averages 96.56 in league action, is the first batter since Ben Duggan in 2015 to compile four centuries in the same SPL season. Currently the Portsmouth skipper, Duggan was playing for the Hampshire Academy seven years ago.

De Villiers has scored 455 more runs than anyone else in Division 2 this year, with former Hampshire professional Jason Laney (514) the next highest. And that from one fewer innings!

Laney had a great view of De Villiers’ latest ton as he was part of the St Cross 2nds XI who watched as he hit 12 fours and two sixes off 110 deliveries.

De Villiers had previously notched league hundreds against Fawley (100), Hartley Wintney (168) and Bashley 2nds (125).

Coming in after Dan McGovern (44) and Chris Pratt (29) had put on 44 for the first Dons wicket, De Villiers helped the table-toppers post 310-5 after stand-in captain George Marshall had elected to bat.

De Villiers and McGovern - who with 494 runs is third highest in the Division 2 run charts - added 79 for the second wicket.

Jonty Oliver then struck a run-a-ball 67 not out, notching his highest SPL score for the second time in three weeks in a 118-run fifth wicket partnership.

Earlier in the month, he had whacked a last-ball six to beat Fair Oak, ending on 62 not out.

As well as opening the batting, McGovern was also part of Hambledon’s opening bowling attack with James Restell.

He had a huge impact, removing the top three of Laney (7), Brad Aldridge (13) and Steven Hirst (1) as St Cross dipped from 22-0 to 27-3.

Skipper Michael Haworth (51) and Matthew Swann (50) rebuilt the innings with a 97-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Wickets fell at regular intervals when they departed, though, with Henry Glanfield (2-19) and Oliver (2-30) to the fore.

Perhaps fittingly, it was De Villiers who sealed Hambledon’s 10th win in 11 league games when he had No 11 Finty Trussler caught by Restall with the score on 209.

*Teenager Sam Ashman celebrated his maiden SPL century as Andover thrashed Bashley 2nds to remain second behind Hambledon.

The opener - who has played for Hampshire under-15s this year - smacked 127 as Andover rattled up 342-7 in the New Forest.

Ashman shared a 170-run opening stand with 47-year-old veteran Glyn Treagus (68), before Babu Veettil slapped an unbeaten 63 off just 24 balls with six fours and four sixes.

In reply, Bashley were bowled out for 158 with former Zimbabwean Test bowler John Nyumbu taking 3-35.

*Waterlooville recovered from a miserable start against Hook & Newnham Basics 2nds to record a seventh win in 11 league matches.

After skipper Archie Reynolds had elected to bat, both he and fellow opener Gabriel Broadhurst were out for ducks as Ville crashed to 3-2.

Former Havant and Purbrook all-rounder Josh McCoy, though, hit 71 - his best Ville score - as the hosts recovered to post 162 all out at Rowlands Avenue.

Best support came from No 8 Jon Hudson, who scored an unbeaten 34 and helped McCoy add 44 for the seventh wicket.

Hook might have been considered favourites when they advanced to 71-3 in reply. But they then lost four wickets for 27 runs with Reynolds (3-23) and Sam Robinson (2-27).

Hudson (2-26) then came back for a second spell to take the last two wickets, with Alex Corbett - batting at No 4 and top scoring with 29 - last out with the score on 129.