Basingstoke & North Hants are within touching distance of being crowned Southern Premier League Division 1 champions, writes Mike Vimpany.

A ten-run win at Andover, far closer than they anticipated, means that Basingstoke only need four points from their last two matches to take the title, writes Mike Vimpany.

They will expect to wrap things up when Sarisbury Athletic visit May's Bounty on Saturday, 12.30.

Andover arguably possess the best bowling attack in SPL1 so Basingstoke were pleased to post 215-8, a total built around a solid start by Matt Deadman (46) and Ash Neal (30), and boosted by a timely half-century by Joe Oates (51).

Former Zimbabwe Test spinner John Nyumbu dismissed Basingstoke's leading three run scorers during a tidy 3-33 return.

Oates (2-19) and Brad Neal (2-33) ran amok with the new ball, reduci ng Andover to 14-3 and later 31-4.

Richmond Mutambami (46) fought back, but his dismissal at 95 triggered a second collapse to collapse which saw the Lions drop to 113-7 (Matt Hooper 27).

Game over ?  Not a bit of it. Nathan Birks (45) and Nyumbu reignited the innings with an eighth wicket stand of 73 to put Andover back in the match.

Nyumbu fought on to the end, smashing three late sixes to finish with 42 not out and Andover a creditable 205-9.