Portsmouth & Southsea take over top spot with just one game left to go in Southern Premier League Division 2/3 East group

They thrashed Tichborne Park by 141 runs to record a maximum points success that took them above Liphook & Ripsley into pole position.

But it’s very tight - by virtue of having one more point than Liphook, Portsmouth lead the division by just .25 of a point.

Another maximum points triumph in their final game against Waterlooville will see them progress to the final against the Division 2/Division 3 West group winners.

But anything less than that could open the door for Liphook, who face Hartley Wintney in their last game, to retake top spot.

Opener Jack Davies hit nine fours and a six in an 83-ball 80 as P & S rattled up 249-9.

There were also good contributions from Matt Benfield (31) - the openers put on 63 - Dean Lee (30), Alex Davidson (27) and Ben Saunders (24).

Tichborne contributed to their own demise by sending down 33 wides.

In reply, new ball pair Jake Peach and Jono Willey ripped through Park’s top order.

Matt Bristow was caught behind by Benfield off Willey for a duck before opening partner Toby Barnett was caught by Davies off Peach for a single.

It was 12-3 when No 3 Will Allam (0) was bowled by Peach.

Captain Ed Primmer (33) and Jacob Bristow (28) put on 52 for the fourth wicket before the latter became the first of Keiron Dunstan’s four victims.

Dunstan ended with 4-40 while Saunders claimed 3-15 as Park were bowled out for 108 off 29.5 overs.

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Gosport Borough lost their last six wickets for 14 runs as Liphook claimed their fourth successive victory.

Borough crashed from a comfortable 59-1 to 101 all out at Ripsley Park.

They were seemingly well placed while Simon Creal (29) and Jacob Harris were at the crease, but when Liphook tossed a three-pronged spin attack into the equation Borough collapsed.

Teenager Oscar Amis (3-19) and Jamie Hall (3-8) sent wickets tumbling – Harris (32) losing five partners during a freefall which saw the visitors lose their last five wickets for four runs, the last three to Rob Nicklin (3-6) .

Liphook progressed to 46-0 before losing four wickets for 16 runs - Jack Richards taking 2-21 - but eventually eased home with 13 overs to spare.

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James Mulvey struck a century as Waterlooville were beaten by eight wickets at Hartley Wintney.

The opener belted seven sixes and 10 boundaries in his unbeaten 110 as Wintney stormed past Waterlooville’s 192-9 total with seven overs in hand.

Namish Verma (36), Archie Reynolds (30), Alex Shepherd (30) and Jon Hudson (24) had impressed when the visitors elected to bat first after winning the toss.