Bournemouth close in on Havant

Stand-in skipper Nick Park was keen to play down Bournemouth's Southern Electric Premier League title chances following their emphatic 84-run victory over fellow high-fliers Hampshire academy at the Rose Bowl nursery ground.

Park, leading Bournemouth in the absence of skipper Craig de Weymarn, tasted success in his first game at the helm as victory saw them leapfrog the academy into second place.

The 23-year-old piloted the team to a seventh win in eight to leave them breathing down the neck of leaders Havant ahead of their top-of-the-table clash at Chapel Gate on Saturday.

"It's nice to be up there but it's not something we're thinking about to be honest," said Park.

"We're taking one game at a time. It would be great to be in the mix with two or three games left but we're not even halfway through the season yet so everybody's feet are firmly on the ground."

Younger brother James Park (40) and experienced pair Darren Cowley (32) and Paul Prichard (21) gave Bournemouth a solid start before Simon Watkins (71) and Jo Cranch (36) came together.

Bournemouth's Paul Prichard

The pair put on 103 during a rain-interrupted fifth-wicket stand which guided Bournemouth from a respectable 108 for four to a commanding 211 for five to steer them to 247 for nine.

Bournemouth's cause was boosted when left-armer David Payne removed Hampshire dangerman Liam Dawson inside the first over, although the visitors did not have things all their own way.

James Vince (42), Benny Howell (32), Adam Rouse (30) and Mike Bates (25) all chipped in as the Hampshire young guns continued to make progress. But a final flurry saw them stopped in their tracks inside the last hour as Bournemouth dismissed them for 168 - Cowley (3-15), Ed Denham (3-23) and Payne (3-53) taking six wickets in the last hour.

An hour-long rain break proved crucial as Totton & Ealing battled out a draw against champions Havant.

Three Havant batsmen made half-centuries – teenage left-hander Ben Walker (59), Laurie Prittipaul (50) and latterly Stuart Ransley (60) then a breezy 39 in quick time by Craig Abrahams boosted Havant's total to 242 for eight, with Richard Dibden (3-71) and Rob Franklin (3-56) doing the lion’s share of the Totton bowling.

Then came the rain – and a frantic scramble by Havant to bowl Totton out in 45 overs.

They didn’t make a bad job of it, with Jez Ord (2-15) striking two early blows and Phil Loat (2-17) dismissing Lee Savident (26) and David Banks (29). Richard Hindley (2-20) eked out two more batsmen, but Havant ran out of time with Totton closing at 105 for seven.

Jimmy Adams took St Cross Symondians to their first victory © Getty Images

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Hampshire left-hander Jimmy Adams steered St Cross Symondians to their first Southern Electric Premier League win of the season at the expense of Winchester rivals Hursley Park at the Quarters.

The result sentenced Alton – hefty 121-run losers at South Wilts – to bottom place in the table. Adams hit 95, including a six and eight boundaries, and shared an 89-run opening stand with Archie Fellowes (39) after St Cross had been set 214 to win. Charlie Esson’s 38 not out proved key towards the end of the innings.

Hursley Park began confidently through Scott Mills (50) but, after slipping to 136 for five as Will Motaung took 3-19, Thara Perera (41) and Ollie Green (29) had to rebuild the innings. But Hursley dropped from 200 for five to 213 all out – five wickets falling for 13 runs.

Alton produced another poor batting display at Lower Bemerton. Their bowlers would have been content to restrict South Wilts to 209, but Alton’s batting folded to 88 all out.

Mark House (49) provided top order stability for SW, who lurched to 47 for three, with Jerry Pang-Kessler taking 2-72, before James Hayward (27) and James Hibberd (21) provided some stability.

Tab Farooq (3-41) and Scott Myers (3-50) made inroads, but Steve Riddle (44) and Ross Crick (29) put bat to ball with aplomb as South Wilts rallied from 143 for seven to 209.

Only Michael Heffernan (34) put up much of a fight as Alton caved in, initially to Hibberd (2-23) and Simon Branston (2-39) and later to the left-arm spin of Hayward (4-11) and Crick (2-13).