Kerala leapfrog Locks Heath into Hampshire League promotion place after routing Ellingham for just 47

Jinoy Mathai claimed career best figures as the Portsmouth-based team routed their hosts at Picket Post for only 47.

Kerala didn’t lose a wicket in reply as they took full advantage of Locks Heath’s home loss to Sarisbury Athletic 2nds.

With four games of the Division 3 South season remaining, Kerala are now 13 points ahead of third-placed Locks - only the top two are promoted.

Ellingham’s decision to bat first quickly backfired with Mathai caught and bowled Mark Burnett off the first delivery of the game.

It didn’t get much better for the hosts as they lurched to 33-6 before losing their last three wickets for no runs.

Mathai led the rout with 5-15 while skipper Dawn Ambi leapt to the top of the overall Hampshire League wicket-taking charts with 3-13. He now has 36 victims - one more than Redlynch & Hale’s George Hayes.

Brian New was the only Ellingham batter in double figures with extras (19) top scoring.

Locks Heath’s ability to regularly score over 200 has been a feature of their promotion challenge this year.

But against Sarisbury they suffered a startling collapse to be bowled out for 106 - their lowest total of the season to suffer only their second defeat in 13 games.

Asked to chase 190 for victory, Locks slipped to 34-3. But while leading runscorer Joe Baker remained at the crease, they still had a chance.

When Baker was fifth out with the score on 100 - he had hit 56, the next best was just 18 - it was the catalyst for a clatter of wickets to fall.

Indeed, Locks lost six wickets for six runs with Phil Jewell (3-12) and Jon Floyd (3-16) picking up cheap wickets.

No 6 Matthew Reeves (55) had top scored for Sarisbury as they posted 189-9 after winning the toss.

Chris Sanders (27), Simon Orr (26) and Sam Freemantle (24) had all made starts in the top five.

Having waited over 20 years to celebrate his maiden Gosport Borough hundred, Michael Gravells has now scored two in as many months.

After hitting 117 for the 3rds against Clanfield 2nds on June 11, he struck exactly 100 not out for the 2nds against Shanklin & Godshill on the Isle of Wight.

Gravells hit 18 boundaries and a six in his 99-ball knock as Borough posted 254-5 off their 45 overs.

He shared an 83-run stand for the second wicket with skipper Gavin King (28) before adding an unbroken 80 for the sixth wicket with Freddy Boswell (28 not out).

King then dismissed two of the Shanklin top four for ducks to leave the hosts 19-2. But opener Mark Ringer (85) and No 4 Seb Egerton-Read (82) added 148 for the third wicket and Shanklin were well placed on 213-4.

But Greg Kitchin (3-33) and Jordyn Dore (3-40) shone as six wickets tumbled for 23 runs, Gosport winning by 18.

Tailender James Hawley struck a defiant half-century as Fareham & Crofton 2nds remained in the three-team drop zone after losing to Totton & Eling 2nds.

Chasing 281 at Bath Lane, F & C slithered to 102-7. No 9 Hawley, though, refused to throw in the towel and promptly top scored with 57 - only his second half-century for the club and his first for nine years.

The hosts were eventually all out for 195 in the 43rd over.

Blake Darney (72), skipper Dan Collier (56) and Billy Lightfoot (47) had top scored for Totton after the latter had won the toss, Sam Lindsay taking 3-34.

Like F & C, Portsmouth & Southsea 2nds’ top scorer in their loss to Sway 2nds was also a tailender.

In their case, No 10 Mani-Noor Spencer (29 not out) and last man Dean Wilson (21) added an impressive 55 for the last wicket after coming together at 85-9.

No 8 Jon Ashford also hit 21 after P & S had crashed to 57-7 after being put in at Jubilee Fields.

Seth Pickering (5-52) completed a five-for when he dismissed Wilson in the 25th over.

James Whitehurst (54 not out) guided Sway to a seven-wicket victory.