Jack Davies lashes stunning century as Portsmouth & Southsea move another giant step closer to Southern Premier League promotion

He struck an unbeaten 133 as P & S reached their 267 victory target at Basingstoke & North Hants 2nds with almost 15 overs in hand.

It was the club’s 13th Southern Premier League Division 3 win in 14 games, and they enjoy a whopping 68-point lead over third-placed South Wilts 2nds with just four weeks of the season remaining. Only the top two go up.

As for Davies, it was his fourth hundred of the year but his first in the SPL - one had come in a friendly, another in a midweek league fixture, and the third was last month’s 102 in a T20 tie against Trojans.

Shaun Briggs had earlier given the P & S reply a rocket start at May’s Bounty. Opening the innings, he blasted 40 off just 16 balls - with seven fours and two sixes - before Jake Peach, shoved up the order to No 3, hit 28 off 36 deliveries.

Opening bowler Tyler Bradley suffered more than most - conceding 58 runs off his four overs.

That was the prelude to Davies hitting 18 boundaries and five sixes in his scorching 95-ball knock.

Chris Bollom - 39 not out off 38 balls - helped Davies add an unbroken 149 for the fourth wicket as P& S strolled home in the 36th over.

It wasn’t an SPL career best for Davies; that remains his 137 against Lymington 2nds four years ago.

Sway’s hopes of taking the second promotion place took a dent when they were hammered by Havant 2nds.

The New Forest club were bundled out for 89 to lose by a mammoth 239-run margin at Havant Park.

Simon Loat (85) and Ben Feeney (78) were the main contributors to Havant’s imposing 328-6 total - putting on 108 for the second wicket - while Harrison Barnard (40) provided support.

Henry Pelling-Smith (4-30) removed four of the top five Sway batters as the visitors careered to 35-5. Sid Mutta (3-23) helped mop up the tail.

Paul Longland moved to the top of the divisional run charts as Purbrook slumped to a 14th successive defeat.

Relegation has long looked sadly inevitable, and Purbrook only have four games left in a bid to find that elusive first victory.

Chasing 237 for victory, Longland blazed an unbeaten 148 as his side strolled home by eight wickets with almost 15 overs in hand.

Lee Wateridge (44) helped Longland add 180 for the second wicket.

Electing to bat first, Purbrook’s lower order helped them to a respectable 236 after they had plunged to 98-5.

George Harradine (45) top scored at No 7 with good contributions from Brad Megham (26) and Aaron Dean (36) - batting at 8 and 9 respectively. Opener Alex Cox had earlier also struck 36.

Longland now has 651 Division 3 runs - 27 more than Jack Davies.

Two men with famous namesakes played a big part in Gosport Borough’s victory over Langley Manor.

First, Viv Richards top scored with 71 off 92 balls at Knellers Lane as the visitors were bowled out for 203, opening bowler Simon Peters bagging 5-36.

Scott Taylor (31) helped Richards add 90 for the third wicket.

Gosport’s second famous namesake - Muhammad Ali - then claimed 3-26, removing three of Langley’s top four as the hosts slipped to 59-4.

Sampath Prathapasinghe (4-21) ripped out the middle order as Langley slithered to 153 all out.