St Cross Symondians' Australian pace bowler Sam Beer wrecked troubled Bashley (Rydal) with a six-wicket return which set up an easy win for the defending ECB Southern Premier League champions.

He took 6-33 as Bashley were skittled for 81 - a total St Cross polished off for the loss of three wickets to increase their lead over South Wilts at the top of the table to 19 points, with five 50-over 'white ball' matches remaining.

But, while St Cross have a second consecutive title in their sights, Bashley are in serious relegation trouble at the bottom, only one point above Alton.

Apart from Saif Achakzai (24), Bashley offered little resistance after being put into bat on a damp Green Jackets ground surface and were bowled out in 27 overs.

It didn't take St Cross too long to complete the formalities, Jack Bransgrove (33), Joe Lewis (24) and Harry Trussler (20) easing the Winchester club to victory inside 18 overs.

Sparsholt’s receding prospects of avoiding a second consecutive Southern Premier League relegation took another knock with a 72-run defeat by Liphook & Ripsley, who are 21 points above them at the Division 2 basement with five matches left to play.

Sparsholt’s best period of the game came when Usman Akram (4-43) and Rob Foy (3-54) combined to take Liphook’s last eight wickets for 43 runs.

But by then the damage had been long done with Rob Nicklin (95) and Oscar Amis (72) sharing a sizeable 141-run stand which saw Liphook to 203-2 before the innings subsided to 246 all out.

Tom Berzins (65) held firm while Sparsholt lost wickets all around him.  Only Foy (31) and Will Robbins (21) provided any support.  All three fell to South African spinner Ash-Lee Harvey (3-36). Sparsholt were 174 all out. 

Lead pair Hursley Park and champions Compton & Chandler’s Ford go toe-to-toe in a top Hampshire League Division 1 showdown at The Quarters on Saturday.

Fourteen points separate the pair, Hursley leading with 209 and CCF 195. Third placed Ferndown Wayfarers are only one point behind with 194, with four matches left.

The Flynn brothers, Will (64) and Tom (54) shared an unbroken century partnership as Hursley Park recovered from 21-3 to overhaul Old Basing’s 159.

Compton bounced back from consecutive defeats when Zimbabwean Tinashe Chimbambo hit an unbeaten 102 and opener Ethan Sharp 89 in the 95-run in over Burridge II.